Souths v Manly - What you need to know

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"(Manly) resorted to the chequebook and lured player after player away from Souths to "Millionaire's Row" on the northern peninsula. The beginning of the longest premiership drought in our history can be laid squarely at the feet of Manly."

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This extract from the Russell Crowe-commissioned Book of Feuds succinctly demonstrates the long-running animosity between the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles.

That bad blood will boil over tonight as South Sydney attempt to qualify for their first grand final since 1971 against the very foe they blame for their 42-year premiership drought.

WHAT, WHERE AND WHEN: Preliminary Final, Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles, ANZ Stadium, 7.45pm

FORM GUIDE: The Rabbitohs have won both games against the Sea Eagles this season. The first was a 20-12 victory at Brookvale Oval in Round 7 and the second a 22-10 triumph at Bluetongue Stadium in Round 23. The first encounter was a spiteful affair, with Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire left fuming over the lack of action taken against Richie Fa'aoso for separate spear tackles on Greg Inglis. Inglis exacted revenge in the Round 23 encounter, inspiring the Rabbitohs to a come-from-behind 12-point victory.

MATCH ODDS: Rabbitohs $1.40, Sea Eagles $3.00 (correct as at 3pm 27/9)

TALE OF THE TAPE: MANLY'S Brett Stewart is a certain starter, with the brilliant fullback passed fit to make his return from a hamstring injury. The Sea Eagles will benefit greatly by his return, with their attack undoubtedly more dangerous with Stewart in the side.

Despite his quality performances at the back in the absence of Stewart, rookie Peter Hiku will drop out of the 17-man squad. Jamie Lyon (leg) and Anthony Watmough (knee) have also been cleared and are in no doubt to play.

The Rabbitohs are fresh from their week off and are without any injury concerns. Coach Michael Maguire says his team have been able to rest any niggling injuries and are preparing for the toughest match of their season.

There is some mail that Maguire could promote young half Luke Keary onto the bench, knowing what happened in last year's preliminary final when Adam Reynolds was forced from the field with injury.

KEY MATCH-UPS:

Greg Inglis v Brett Stewart
THE last time these two teams met, Greg Inglis returned from a lengthy stint on the sidelines to lead his under siege side to victory. Can Brett Stewart do the same and elevate a struggling Manly outfit to its fourth grand final in seven years? The stats say he can.

The Sea Eagles have won 13 of the 17 games Stewart has featured in this season, while losing five and drawing one of the nine matches from which he was absent.

His elusive speed, timing and sublime ball skills make him incredibly difficult for defensive lines to contain - much the same as the South Sydney custodian. However, Greg Inglis has one distinct advantage over Stewart - his kick returns.

The Bunnies' No. 1 is a much strong runner and, as a result of his 105kg frame, is able to bend defensive lines back when returning the ball, subsequently putting his team on the front foot from the opening tackle of the set. Stewart, on the other hand, is lighter, and is therefore driven back more often.

Adam Reynolds v Daly Cherry-Evans
DALY Cherry-Evans has stoked the fire this week by suggesting Adam Reynolds is not ready for State of Origin. As a result, Reynolds will be on a mission to prove he is still the No. 1 prodigy halfback in the game, and will be keen to show he is just as ready to stake his claim in the Origin arena as Cherry-Evans, who debuted in Game 2 this year.

The last time they met, Reynolds outplayed his opposite, turning the game in South Sydney's favour with two pin-point kicks at crucial moments. However, Cherry-Evans has momentum and good form on his side after putting in a stunning performance last week.

The 24-year-old scored a try, forced two drop outs and provided two try assists to lead Manly to the narrowest of victories over Cronulla. Statistically, they are very different players. DCE is very damaging with the ball in hand when close to the line, whilst Reynolds is known for his ability to force a repeat set.

John Sutton v Kieran Foran
THESE two men have very contrasting styles of play, but are equally valuable to their respective sides. John Sutton is a damaging runner on the left hand side for South Sydney. The defence is always in two minds as to whether he will pass the ball or use his large frame and terrific footwork to try and bust through.

He averages almost double the metres of Foran per game as well as accruing nine more line breaks and 15 more offloads this season. Foran however, is a far better playmaker.

The Sea Eagles five-eighth has 23 try assists to Sutton's 11 and has forced 19 drop outs to Sutton's 13. Their combination with their respective halves partners will be crucial to the outcome of this preliminary final.

Sam Burgess v Anthony Watmough
AGGRESSION, fast feet, hard running and big hits are what you get from these two week in and week out – so don't expect Friday's match to be any different. Both men are specialists at punching over the advantage line, getting a quick play the ball and subsequently putting their team on the front foot.

Watch them attempt to get the better of each other by rushing out of the line and putting a stop to the other's momentum.

However, this head-to-head is as much a mental battle as it is physical. Both men are noted hot-heads and occasionally let their desire to win get the better of their judgement, resulting in a silly error or penalty.

Therefore, expect plenty of niggle between the two as they attempt to get under the other's skin and in turn, grab some cheap field position.

STATS AMAZING:

As the Book of Feuds stats show, Manly inflicted a "curse" on the Rabbitohs when they started recruiting their players post 1971. Manly have become a dominant force since and only in recent seasons are South Sydney now considered a powerhouse once again.

Since 1972 Manly have played in a total of 66 finals matches with South Sydney only playing 16. Manly have made the finals a total of 31 times since '72 and the Rabbitohs 10. (23 times Manly have made the finals and South Sydney missed out)

Manly have not won a wooden spoon in that time and on five occasions the Rabbitohs have finished dead last.

The longest streak since '72 is Manly's 11 straight wins between 1993 and '98 while the Rabbitohs despite their problem did manage six consecutive wins between 1984 and 1987.

Overall the Rabbitohs have won an astonishing 20 premierships between 1908 and 1971. The cupboard has been bare since then. Manly, by contrast, is looking to qualify for its fourth grand final since 2007. This is their ninth consecutive finals series appearance.

The Sea Eagles, however, have a poor record against the Rabbitohs in finals. They have won just three of ten games against Souths.

WHAT THEY SAID
"It's a good yard-stick for us (this game) to find out our improvements. I believe we've improved a hell of a lot right throughout this season compared to where we were this time last year. We get to measure ourselves, but the experience and understanding – a couple of players have played in rep teams now – hopefully we can take that into Friday's game." Michael Maguire

"A lot of people are saying that we're tired but when you get out there, you don't think about those sorts of things. We've probably looked a little tired because of a few injuries but we will be fine. We will come out fresh on Friday and hopefully put in our best performance of the year." Jamie Lyon

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