South Sydney Rabbitohs player Adam Elliot sustained a groin injury in the Round 24 clash against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Elliot left the field in the 12th minute of the game, ending his night early after a tackle on Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz.
The club confirmed Elliot strained his adductor and will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks. This comes after the forward remained on the sidelines after suffering a deltoid ligament rupture in his ankle in the clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 12. Elliot was given the guidelines of five months away from the game but made his remarkable early return in 10 weeks.
As South Sydney is fighting for their chance to make finals, their injury list continues to remain high. Ashton Ward is amongst the list of players out with injury as he sustained a high-grade hamstring tear during a goal-kicking attempt in Round 23 and is out for the rest of the 2026 season.
Ward's potential replacement, Jamie Humphreys, is managing an ongoing ankle injury, with a full recovery unknown at this stage as the club is going week-to-week. Young halfback Jayden Sullivan was brought into the game to replace Ward and has remained in the starting halfback position.
The Rabbitohs face up against the New Zealand Warriors in Round 25. Euan Aitken has been named to start in the second row, with Liam Le Blanc added to the interchange rotation.
Euan Aitken has been an integral part of South Sydney's depth this season, after he departed from the Redcliffe Dolphins. As an experienced forward, he has brought reliability and versatility to the squad.
The 31-year-old has made 14 appearances for the club, scoring four tries, and has a tackle efficiency of 95%. The forward's consistency in his tackling and having 100 running metres on average per game makes him the perfect replacement for Elliot.
Aitken has spent time on the edge, as he spent games starting in the lineup there during the middle of the season.
Liam Le Blanc makes his way onto the interchange bench for Souths. The 21-year-old has made six appearances for the Sydney side and will look to provide impact and cover the middle.
The big return of Latrell Mitchell looked likely as the Rabbitohs named him as 22nd man on the bench.
With the New Zealand Warriors confirmed to play finals and South Sydney making their finals contention, the return of Latrell Mitchell would've been a huge inclusion for the South Sydney side.
Wayne Bennett confirmed that there was “some chance” of Mitchell making his return this weekend. However, the club confirmed Mitchell will not return for Round 25, instead making his return in the Round 26 clash with the Gold Coast Titans.
The Rabbitohs starting lineup remains similar to their Round 24 win against the Bulldogs, except for Adam Elliot.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs will look to continue their winning form against the New Zealand Warriors in Round 25.
