Entering the final round of the NRL season, the stakes are high for several teams—none more so than the Sydney Roosters who need to beat arch rivals South Sydney to be assured of a spot in the top eight.
Following a hiccup two weeks ago against the Eels, Roosters fans are understandably a little wary, but one person who isn’t worried is their former coach and current Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould.
“I’m surprised people are thinking this will even be a contest on Friday night,” Gould said on the Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
“I’ll be very, very surprised if the Roosters don’t win handsomely against South Sydney, were you watching them last week (against the Storm)?”
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‘South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs—a rivalry where there is genuine hatred’
In the next breath, however, Gould acknowledged the game does come with a major X-factor that few other NRL contests can match.
“There’s always that thing with the local derby of course—this is a rivalry where there is genuine hatred,” he said.
“Yes, there are other derbies where it’s competitive, but I don’t think anything matches the hatred of South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs, it just doesn’t—and I’ve experienced them all.”
‘I don’t know that I’d be playing Cameron Murray’
Gould also expressed doubts about the value of playing returning skipper Cameron Murray, especially in what promises to be a hugely physical contest.
“I’ll leave it to the medical team who are dealing with him every day, but it seems strange that just for the sake of one week, and one game, you’d want to trot him out for this one,” he said.
“But it shows how seriously they’re (Souths) taking the contest, they’d love nothing more than to beat the Roosters and knock them out of the eight.
“But I don’t know that I’d be playing him, I think I’d be resting him (for 2026).”
‘Alex Johnston will have to carry his bat over the summer’
A Rabbitohs victory isn’t the only thing Gould can’t see happening on Friday night, as he also threw cold water on the chances of South Sydney winger Alex Johnston breaking the all-time try scoring record, or even equalling it.
“No, Alex won’t be scoring three tries on Friday night, I’m not seeing two tries either,” Gould said, while admitting he’d love to be proven wrong.
“I think he’ll have to carry his bat over the summer months, like being 99 not out at stumps.”