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Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL Round 17 Tips - Rabbits slip past the Eels

jeremy-darke
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Last updated: Tue 23 Jun 2026 12:10

In NRL Round 17, 2026, the South Sydney Rabbitohs are forecasted to overpower the Parramatta Eels, thanks to a slick attack and a recent dominant win against the Broncos. Parramatta's struggles in defense, ranking near the bottom for line breaks and points conceded, are a major concern even with Mitchell Moses' milestone return. Expert tips see South Sydney covering the 5.5-point spread, exceeding 26.5 points, and Alex Johnston likely scoring multiple tries versus Eels' weak right-side defense.

Jeremy Darke 12 minutes ago
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  • Rabbitohs predicted to cover 5.5-point spread vs Eels.
  • South Sydney's attack seen as too strong for Eels' defense.
  • Alex Johnston tipped for multiple tries against Eels' weak right edge.
  • Kick off is at 7:50 PM (AEST) on Thursday, 25th June at CommBank Stadium

Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL Round 17 Tips

Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, Round 17 2026 - Expert Prediction


The South Sydney attack will be too slick for the Eels to contain as the Rabbits cover as 5.5-point favourites.

The Eels and the Rabbitohs both broke a three-game losing streak last time they played, however the South Sydney looked impressive doing it, while the Eels hung on for dear life against an underdone Raiders outfit. 

Mitchell Moses' return in his 250th appearance will certainly help the Eels with field position and attacking options inside 20m, however, it doesn’t improve how they hold up through the middle and the constant holes in their defensive line. 

We saw Souths at their best against an undermanned Broncos team where they put up 48 points before their bye. If they come in against Parramatta in the same form, they will do the work through the middle and on the edges and unlock their outside backs in the openings that appear in the Eels line.

Alex Johnston continues to add tries to his tally, getting four last time out. There is no point backing the try scoring legend for a single pie, take him for a double against the soft right-side defence of the Eels that gives up 37% of their tries.

  • The Rabbitohs have won 9 of the last 10 matches against the Eels.
  • South Sydney ranks second in the NRL with an average of 29.7 points per game. 
  • The eels rank 17th in opposition linebreaks, the Rabbits average 6.9 line breaks per game, the second-most in the NRL.
  • Alex Johnston has 10 tries in his last 5 games, including 4 tries last match versus Brisbane.

Where does your team rank in the League of Inches mid-season review?

Head to Head 


The Rabbits own this contest winning 9 of the last 10 matches against the Eels. The latest in Round 24 last year where Souths walked away 20-16 victors at Allianz.

2026 Season Stat Rankings

Eels Atk RankRabbitohs Def RankStatRabbitohs Atk RankEels Def Rank
126Points216
167Run Mts714
163Linebreaks217
151Compl %77


Parramatta Eels Form Analysis 


The Eels got a scrappy win against the Raiders 15-12 back in Round 15, but to be honest, it had more to do with Canberra’s attack being flat than Parramatta going up a level. 

The match against the Green Machine couldn’t have been any tighter on the stats sheet with a Ronald Volkman field goal before half time being the psychological difference in the victory. The Eels collapsed in the second half letting in two late tries to give the Raiders a sniff, but survived. 

The return of Mitchell Moses this week will make a difference, but their defence, which is ranked 16th in the league, still has a lot of questions, despite being solid over the last couple of games against poor attacking sides. A season average of over 30 conceded points per game still hangs over their head. 

South Sydney Rabbitohs Form Analysis 


Souths broke a three-game losing stretch with a strong performance over the Broncos 48-6 before having their bye last weekend.

Brisbane were missing their Origin stars, however, the attack of the Bunnies was in fine touch with Alex Johnston adding four tries to his try scoring record, giving him 19 for the season and 229 in his career. 

After leaking an average of 30 points in their three losses, Wayne Bennet was happy to see that South were able to contain any attack of Brisbane. South had 60% of the ball and outran Brisbane by 618 run metres in the match and had 5 more line breaks than their opponents. 

Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Team List & Team News


Team News and Lists are in our dedicated Round 17 Team List Article.

Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 17 FAQ’s

How to livestream Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 17?

You can livestream the Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 17 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchNRL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 17?

To buy tickets to the Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 17 game check the NRL website or the official Parramatta Eels site.

Verdict

The Rabbits will score over 26.5 points and cover the 5.5 points as the favourite with Alex Johnston crossing twice.
Best Bet1: South Sydney -5.5 Handicap/Line $1.91 at OnlyBets - 3 Units
Best Bet2: South Sydney Over 26.5 Team Total $1.89 at Neds - 2 Units
Best Bet3: Alex Johnston 2+ Tries $2.40 at dabble - 1 Unit
Best Bet4: Alex Johnston First Tryscorer $6.00 at dabble - 1 Unit
South Sydney -5.5
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$1.91 - 3 Units
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