Live: Ravaged Rabbits face Knights as NRL Magic Round continues

You may have to rub your eyes when you see Rabbitohs are underdogs against the Knights, who have scored just 36 points in a five-match losing streak coming into today’s game.

But it makes sense when you check out the casualty ward in Redfern. Just some of the unavailable players include:

• Latrell Mitchell (suspension)
• Cameron Murray
• Cody Walker
• Jack Wighton
• Jamie Humphreys
• Alex Johnston
• Mikaele Ravalawa

It means prop Tevita Tatola has been named captain in a reshuffled Rabbitohs line-up.

There was some speculation that the 19s for both the Rabbitohs and Knights might get late call-ups, but Josh Schuster and Tyson Gamble have both dropped out of the gameday squad.

It means English off-season signing Lewis Dodd, known by coach Wayne Bennett only as “the Pommy”, gets his first start in the NRL. And Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien is sticking with the spine of Kalyn Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe, Jack Cogger and Phoenix Crossland that has struggled so mightily to score points this season.

Hello and welcome to another beautiful day in Brisbane as the NRL’s Magic Round continues at a resplendent Lang Park.

I’m Jon Healy and today I’ll be bringing you all the action from Souths’ clash with the battling Knights.

The Warriors and Cowboys are the evening game, before the Jacob Liddle Bowl between the Tigers and Dragons.

Stick around.