Mt Smart Stadium will play host to Friday's Round 18 NRL game between New Zealand Warriors and South Sydney Rabbitohs. The game kicks off at 6:00 pm with New Zealand Warriors heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the New Zealand Warriors vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday June 30, 2023 at 6:00 pm

Where: Mt Smart Stadium

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New Zealand Warriors vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Odds

New Zealand Warriors vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Preview

The Warriors return to Auckland hunting four straight wins for the first time since early-2018, hosting stalling heavyweights South Sydney Rabbitohs, who have hit the skids over the past month with injuries stunting their momentum.

Following on from second-half-dominant 22-point wins over the Dolphins and Canberra, the surging Warriors walloped St George Illawarra 48-18 in Wollongong despite being uncharacteristically sloppy during multiple patches.

The outstanding quartet of Shaun Johnson, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Addin Fonua-Blake and Tohu Harris were again superb, but the star of the show was winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, whose four-try haul gave him 12 in his last eight games.

Just one change for the Warriors, with Mitch Barnett returning from suspension for Marata Niukore, who copped a three-match high-tackle ban.

After winning their previous six – including most of their fellow title contenders – Souths have lost four of their last five and slipped to eighth on the ladder. Last week’s 31-6 rout at the hands of North Queensland last Sunday was their worst of 2023.

The 9-7 Rabbitohs conceded no more than 20 points across their first 11 matches but have leaked 28-plus points in every game since. Latrell Mitchell’s four-game absence has seemingly decimated Souths’ confidence, while Cody Walker made an unhappy return from injury against the Cowboys.

Siliva Havili and Shaquai Mitchell return on the bench for Jacob Host and Jed Cartwright in the Rabbitohs’ only changes for this five-day turnaround.

The Rabbitohs have won 13 of their last 14 against the Warriors, including the last seven in succession. Last season the Warriors came home with a wet sail in Magic Round in a 32-30 loss but were pumped 48-10 on the Sunshine Coast in Round 21.

Souths have also won their last three at Mt Smart Stadium by 19-plus margins. The teams’ last 16 encounters produced at least 40 points.

But this is undeniably a different Warriors outfit, who are emerging as a definite top-four contender as their attacking potency starts to match their top-three defence. They are 3-1 in Auckland this year and should capitalise on another sellout at Mt Smart against the out-of-sorts Bunnies.

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