Cody Walker will make his return for South Sydney’s game against Melbourne as a crucial month of football begins for seven NRL teams fighting to stay in the finals race.
Souths coach Ben Hornby confirmed on Wednesday that Walker will recover from a calf strain to play, though there is still no update on whether Latrell Mitchell will return this year following his foot injury.
The Rabbitohs’ match against Melbourne on Thursday night marks the start of a critical month for three teams, who could see their slim finals hopes dashed this weekend.
Currently in 15th place, Souths need a significant turnaround to make the finals but are still mathematically in contention despite 12 losses in their first 22 games.
Following Melbourne, Souths face winnable games against Wests Tigers and Newcastle before finishing their season against Penrith and the Sydney Roosters.
Hornby acknowledged the slim odds: “I’m not focused on the mathematics but rather on this week’s game. We’ll take each match as it comes, viewing each as a challenge and an opportunity.”
Brisbane, last year’s grand finalists, are also hanging on by a thread, needing to win their final four games and rely on other results to sneak into the top eight.
The Warriors, who were last year’s surprise finalists, now find themselves in 13th place and face a similar grim outlook. Their playoff hopes could be dashed this weekend as they face higher-ranked teams in round 23.
Gold Coast, currently the strongest team in the lower half of the ladder, could also see their chances slip with another loss. They first need to overcome Cronulla on Friday night, and face Sydney Roosters and potentially a weakened Penrith in the final rounds.
Newcastle, with arguably the easiest schedule of the teams still hoping for a miracle, also risks having their season end if they lose to Wests Tigers on Sunday.
By the end of the weekend, the NRL could be left with a 10-team race for the finals, with the Dolphins and Canberra also trying to keep pace with the top eight.
