Rabbitohs supporters look to halves Luke Keary and Cody Walker after Sam Burgess injury scare rules him out of Good Friday showdown against Canterbury Bulldogs

With Sam Burgess and Adam Reynolds out for the Good Friday clash between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury Bulldogs, fans will be looking to halves, Luke Keary and Cody Walker to step up and compete with the blue and white who are out for redemption after a surprise 20-6 loss against the Parramatta Eels last week.

The Rabbitohs are heading into the match as underdogs as Tabcorp currently has the Bulldogs at $1.55 over the green and red at $2.50 to win. The Bulldogs have a settled line-up and it is giving them the advantage over the Rabbitohs, who are suffering over key players Burgess and Reynolds being ruled out due to injuries.

With Walker being named at five-eighth and Keary at half back, the halves will have a tough battle on their hands as they match up against Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye who have been in fine form as of late. Statistically, all four players have been outstanding on the field, and supporters can be sure that Friday’s night match will not fall short of entertainment.

Walker Vs Reynolds:

Walker is up against Reynolds who will play his 100th NRL game against the Rabbitohs this friday night, a milestone which will have him firing. After debuting this year for the NRL, Walker has made an impressive impact on the Rabbitohs side using his play making skills to assist in three tries this season, beating out Reynolds who currently has two.

Walkers’ defence has also been notable for a five-eighth with 65 tackles this season over Reynolds’ 49. These two will have a thrilling contest on their hands, however, with Reynolds experience and milestone match, Walker will have to step up to rattle the number 6 who will be gunning for the win.

Keary Vs Mbye:

Mbye is currently making headlines as being one of the best play makers this season. With three try assists and 20 points of his own, Keary is going to have a pull out all the stops to keep Mbye under control as he currently trails with just one try assist and four points.

“I think Moses (Mbye) is playing real good in the halves” Keary said to Rabbitohs.com.au.

“I love playing against Josh (Reynolds), we’ve had a few good battles. I’m sure he’ll have a few things to stay” he added.

On teammate Cody Walker: “He’s a bit of a livewire player and he gets around the field. It’ll be interesting to see how he goes in the next month.”

The Rabbitohs have been in excellent form in the first two rounds, defeating the Sydney Roosters 42-10 and the Newcastle Knights 48-6. Burgess contributed to these wins tirelessly and is ahead of his team with the most metres ran totalling 428.

However, the Englishman had the NRL community hoping and praying on Sunday afternoon when he laid motionless with a team of medical staff surrounding him, one member having to stabilise his neck, after an accidental head clash with the Illawarra Dragons’ Mike Cooper.

Fans of the game watched in horror as Burgess was stretchered from the field in the 51st minute.

Following Burgess’ exit, the scoreless second half had the Rabbitohs looking frazzled and lost on the field as they went down 8-6 after Greg Inglis misinterpreted the scoreboard and attempted a drop goal in the Rabbitohs’ last play of the game.

“We’re all happy to know that Sam hasn’t suffered any serious injuries,” Coach Michael Maguire stated after Burgess was finally cleared of major trauma.

“I spoke to Sam and he feels very lucky and he wants to thank the medical staff from the Rabbitohs and Dragons for their professionalism, the doctors and hospital staff who cared for him last night and this morning, as well as the members and fans for their support and kind words.

“We will continue to monitor Sam’s welfare and he knows he is in the best of hands with our medical staff as we move forward.”

Reynolds is also likely to be out until “round seven or eight” after injuring his jaw in round one against the Sydney Roosters.

“I’ve just got to assess it each week as it comes… With bones you’ve just sort of got to take it slow and my priority is just to get it right at the moment,” he said.

In the annual Good Friday clash, the South Sydney Rabbitohs will take on the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium this Friday at 4pm.