Round 27 Preview — 2026 NRL SeasonNRL Analytics

Rabbitohs v Roosters

SavvyPlays · Friday 04 September 2026 · Allianz Stadium · 8:00pm AEST

Visual Comparison

01Key Metrics Side-by-Side

Motivation is the finals-race tier each side enters the round on; Wins to Finals is how many of their remaining games they need to reach the top eight ("-" already there, "x" out of reach).

Headline averages from every completed match this season (Rabbitohs n=23, Roosters n=23). Bars diverge from centre — longer bar wins on the metric (green where lower is the goal, like points conceded or penalties).

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
LOCKED IN
Motivation
LOCKED IN
-
Wins to Finals
-
28.0
Points For / G
26.0
24.4
Points Against / G
19.6
1,589m
Run Metres / G
1,663m
5.2
Tries / G
4.7
78.5%
Completion %
75.3%
4.9
Penalties Conceded / G
5.2
3.5
Six Agains / G
3.5

Team Records

02Season Records & Scoring

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
13-10-0#7
Season Record
#316-7-0
8-3-0 (H)Home games
Home / Away Record
Away games8-3-0 (A)
28.9Home · #3
Avg Points For (Home / Away)
Away · #229.8
23.4Home · #8
Avg Points Against (Home / Away)
Away · #420.0

Against the Spread

03ATS Performance (W-L-P | % = Cover Rate)

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
11-12-0 (48%)
2026 Season — All
10-13-0 (44%)
6-5-0 (54%)
2026 Season — Home (H) / Away (A)
6-5-0 (54%)
5-7-0 (42%)
2026 Season — Away (H) / Home (A)
4-8-0 (33%)
W1
Current Streak
L2
25-22-0 (53%)
2025-26 — All
23-25-0 (48%)
15-8-0 (65%)
2025-26 — Home (H) / Away (A)
13-11-0 (54%)
10-14-0 (42%)
2025-26 — Away (H) / Home (A)
10-14-0 (42%)

Streak format: W3 = three covers in a row, L2 = two ATS losses. Within each block Home + Away equals All.

Over / Under

04O/U Performance (O-U-P | % = Over Rate)

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
13-10-0 (56%)
2026 Season — All
9-14-0 (39%)
7-4-0 (64%)
2026 Season — Home (H) / Away (A)
6-5-0 (54%)
6-6-0 (50%)
2026 Season — Away (H) / Home (A)
3-9-0 (25%)
O2
Current Streak
U4
19-28-0 (40%)
2025-26 — All
24-24-0 (50%)
10-13-0 (43%)
2025-26 — Home (H) / Away (A)
11-13-0 (46%)
9-15-0 (38%)
2025-26 — Away (H) / Home (A)
13-11-0 (54%)

Within each block Home + Away equals All.

Halves Breakdown

05How Each Team Builds the Game

1H = first half, 2H = second half. 1H/2H averages across the full 2026 season. "1H win → match win" is how often leading at half-time converts into the win.

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
13.4
1H Avg For
12.0
12.8
1H Avg Against
11.3
+0.6
1H Net
+0.7
100%
1H Win → Match Win
100%
16.3
2H Avg For
13.7
10.3
2H Avg Against
10.6
+6.0
2H Net
+3.1

Player Contribution Scores

06Spine vs Spine, Forwards vs Forwards, Backs vs Backs

PCS (Player Contribution Score) is a correlation-informed rating built from play-by-play stats — run metres, line breaks, tackle breaks, missed tackles and so on. Each stat is weighted by how strongly it correlates with winning margin across 1,000+ matches. Aggregated to position group over a 15-game rolling window.

Why position groups matter: the spine (FB, halves, hooker) controls structure, the forwards set the ruck and tempo, the backs finish chances. A team can be middling overall but elite at one group — and that often shows up as a directional edge in the result.

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
159.0#8 Δ +3.2
Squad PCS
#4 Δ +2.6176.0
40.6#12 Δ +0.5
Spine PCS
#7 Δ -1.345.1
38.0#10 Δ +2.6
Forwards PCS
#8 Δ +3.239.1
73.4#4 Δ -2.4
Backs PCS
#3 Δ +0.973.8

Sub shows current league rank. Δ = change vs last round (noisy week-to-week — treat the rank as the headline).

First Scoring Play

07Who Strikes First

Strictly the very first scoring play of each match — try, penalty goal, or (rarely) field goal. Teams that open the scoring tend to lead at half-time about 65% of the time and win about 60% — so the opening play matters. Penalty-goal openings are shown as raw counts because most games never open with a PG; the position-group breakdown only fires when the first play was a try.

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
14/23 (61%)
Scored first try — All games
16/23 (70%)
7/11 (64%)
Scored first try — Home / Away
6/11 (55%)
7/23 (30%)
Conceded first try — All games
6/23 (26%)
2/11 (18%)
Conceded first try — Home / Away
5/11 (45%)
1 (H:1 A:0)
Scored first via penalty goal
0 (H:0 A:0)
1 (H:1 A:0)
Conceded first via penalty goal
1 (H:1 A:0)
2 (H:1 A:1)
First try scored by Spine (All games)
6 (H:2 A:4)
2 (H:0 A:2)
First try scored by Forwards (All games)
3 (H:3 A:0)
9 (H:6 A:3)
First try scored by Backs (All games)
7 (H:5 A:2)
1 (H:0 A:1)
First try scored by Interchange (All games)
0 (H:0 A:0)
3 (H:0 A:3)
First try conceded to Spine (All games)
3 (H:0 A:3)
3 (H:2 A:1)
First try conceded to Forwards (All games)
2 (H:1 A:1)
1 (H:0 A:1)
First try conceded to Backs (All games)
0 (H:0 A:0)
0 (H:0 A:0)
First try conceded to Interchange (All games)
1 (H:0 A:1)

Position groups: Spine = FB/halves/hooker. Forwards = prop/lock/second row. Backs = centre/wing. Interchange = bench.

Current Streaks

08Active Streaks

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
W1
Win / Loss — 2026
L2
W1
ATS — 2026
L2
O2
Over / Under — 2026
U4
W1
1st Half — 2026
W1
W1
2nd Half — 2026
W1
L1
Win / Loss — Home / Away
W4
L2
ATS — Home / Away
W2
O5
Over / Under — Home / Away
U1

Includes previous season(s) where applicable. D = Draw, P = Push (ATS/O/U).

Consistency / Disruption

09Volatility & Squad Health

Consistency Index (CI) measures how predictable a team's results are. It's built from the standard deviation of their margin and their points-conceded across the season. Higher CI = tighter range of results, more dependable.

Disruption Score (DS) measures how far the named squad is from each team's best 17 — weighted by position importance (a halfback out hurts more than a bench prop) and by how fresh the absence is. Higher DS = more disrupted, less the side coaches game-plan around.

Rabbitohs
Metric
Roosters
0.539
Overall CI
0.500
0.568
Defensive CI
0.564
18.5
Margin SD
23.7
0.8
Disruption
30.3
94%
Best-17 %
33%
1
New Outs This Round
9

CI (Consistency Index) measures result predictability from 0 to 1 — higher = more consistent. Defensive CI isolates defensive performance. Margin SD measures the spread of winning/losing margins — lower = more predictable outcomes. Teams with high CI and low Margin SD are the safest to tip; teams with low CI and high Margin SD are volatile and produce the most upsets.

Named Squads

10Rabbitohs — 94% Best 17 (DS 0.8) — Squad avg ±/G: +4.2

#PlayerPositionGP±/G
1Jye GrayFullback14+1.6
2Alex JohnstonWing19+7.6
3Latrell MitchellCentre10+5.8
4Jack WightonCentre16+4.0
5Campbell GrahamWing16+4.1
6Cody WalkerInterchange21+5.2
7Jayden SullivanHalfback12+5.3
8Tevita TatolaProp22+2.9
9Brandon SmithHooker14+4.7
10Keaon KoloamatangiProp22+3.5
11David FifitaSecond Row14+3.3
12Adam ElliottSecond Row6-1.0
13Cameron MurrayLock17+8.1
14Matthew DuftyInterchange12+5.0
15Lachlan HubnerInterchange21+3.4
16Sean KeppieInterchange15-0.7
17Jamie HumphreysInterchange16+1.5

±/G (Plus/Minus per Game) measures each player's average impact on the scoreboard while on the field — the team's scoring margin during their minutes, divided by games played. Positive values indicate the team scores more than it concedes with that player on; negative values indicate the opposite. Best 17% reflects how many of the team's optimal starting lineup are named for this match. GP = games played in 2026. Out: Tallis Duncan (new this round). Players listed as out are ordered by Disruption Score (DS) — a measure of how difficult each absence is to replace based on positional importance and individual performance.

Named Squads

11Roosters — 33% Best 17 (DS 30.3) — Squad avg ±/G: -3.6

#PlayerPositionGP±/G
1Cody RamseyFullback7-0.6
2Daniel TupouWing13+7.0
3Fetalaiga PaugaCentre2-21.0
4Tommy TalauCentre4+14.2
5Rex BassingthwaighteWing
6Reece FoleyFive-Eighth1-38.0
7Toby RodwellHalfback
8Spencer LeniuProp18+0.3
9Benaiah IoeluHooker4-5.5
10Lindsay CollinsProp16-0.2
11Salesi FoketiSecond Row19-0.2
12Egan ButcherSecond Row14+1.3
13Connor WatsonLock21+2.7
14Tom RodwellInterchange
15Taylor LosaluInterchange1+0.0
16Salle Va'aInterchange
17Aston WarwickInterchange

±/G (Plus/Minus per Game) measures each player's average impact on the scoreboard while on the field — the team's scoring margin during their minutes, divided by games played. Positive values indicate the team scores more than it concedes with that player on; negative values indicate the opposite. Best 17% reflects how many of the team's optimal starting lineup are named for this match. GP = games played in 2026. Out: James Tedesco (new this round), Sam Walker (new this round), Daly Cherry-Evans (new this round), Reece Robson (new this round), Billy Smith (new this round), Robert Toia (new this round), Naufahu Whyte (new this round), Siua Wong (new this round), Victor Radley (2wk absent), Mark Nawaqanitawase (new this round). Long-term (2): Angus Crichton (11wk), Blake Steep (18wk) — excluded from the Best 17% denominator, carried at reduced weight in DS. Players listed as out are ordered by Disruption Score (DS) — a measure of how difficult each absence is to replace based on positional importance and individual performance.

Rabbitohs — Recent Form

12Rabbitohs — Last 5 Games

RoundOpponentH/AScoreResMarginLineATSTotalO/U
2026 R26TitansA42-22W+20-11.5W55.5O
2026 R25WarriorsH26-45L-19+3.5L45.5O
2026 R24BulldogsA22-6W+16+4.5W43.5U
2026 R23EelsH28-24W+4-10.5L46.0O
2026 R22SharksA16-32L-16+14.5L51.5U

Roosters — Recent Form

13Roosters — Last 5 Games

RoundOpponentH/AScoreResMarginLineATSTotalO/U
2026 R26DolphinsH12-26L-14-5.5L49.5U
2026 R25Wests TigersH24-25L-1-24.5L53.5U
2026 R24PanthersA12-6W+6+6.5W42.5U
2026 R23BulldogsH20-18W+2-5.5L44.5U
2026 R22CowboysA82-12W+70-5.5W44.5O

Rabbitohs — Try Scoring

14Rabbitohs — Try Scorers (2026)

PlayerPosT1stLast1st 20m2nd 20m3rd 20m4th 20mH / A
A.JohnstonWing29455116717 / 12
T.DuncanCentre12202553 / 9
C.GrahamWing113232244 / 7
L.MitchellInterchange111122258 / 3
C.WalkerFive-Eighth81111243 / 5
D.FifitaSecond Row5104102 / 3
C.MurrayInterchange5111212 / 3
E.AitkenSecond Row521112 / 3
J.GrayInterchange4112013 / 1
J.WightonCentre4130014 / 0

Roosters — Try Scoring

15Roosters — Try Scorers (2026)

PlayerPosT1stLast1st 20m2nd 20m3rd 20m4th 20mH / A
M.NawaqanitawaseWing151343355 / 10
R.ToiaCentre123134237 / 5
B.SmithWing12334237 / 5
D.TupouWing12212277 / 5
J.TedescoFullback112132424 / 7
S.WalkerHalfback101233133 / 7
H.SavalaCentre8122225 / 3
D.Cherry-EvansFive-Eighth63130122 / 4
S.WongSecond Row4231003 / 1
S.FoketiSecond Row3201022 / 1

SavvyPlays Tips — Strong

16The Call

Rabbitohs by 20
Strong · LOCKED IN v LOCKED IN
Win
Roosters +22.5
predicted Rabbitohs margin +20 vs line -22.5
ATS
Under 54.5
projected 51.7 · edge -2.8
Over / Under
Rabbitohs Backs
HIGH · 2.17/g
Anytime Edge
RankGroupScore /GOpp Concede /GCombined
Attacking Rabbitohs (vs Roosters defence)
1Backs2.701.652.17 HIGH
2Spine0.610.910.76 MODERATE
3Interchange1.170.220.70 MODERATE
4Forwards0.700.650.67 LOW
Attacking Roosters (vs Rabbitohs defence)
1Backs2.571.652.11 HIGH
2Spine1.301.221.26 MODERATE
3Forwards0.520.870.70 MODERATE
4Interchange0.260.300.28 LOW

Anytime Try Scoring — Matchup Likelihood: each side's position groups ranked by how often they score against how often this opponent concedes.

Rabbitohs Backs are the standout anytime bet — the top combined matchup score in this game at 2.17/game (Rabbitohs backs score 2.70/game; Roosters concede to the backs at 1.65/game).

The largest disruption score of the 2026 season. The Roosters are resting virtually their entire first-choice side for finals. The Rabbitohs face a reserve-grade team and should win comfortably, though the margin may be tempered by their own finals conservation.

Before you bet

ATS tip is based on SavvyPlays' predicted margin compared against the line at the time of publication. Lines move — always verify the current spread with your bookmaker before placing.

Data & Methodology

Team records sourced from official NRL data. Play-by-play timeline data drives the halves analytics. PCS is a correlation-informed player rating aggregated to position groups (Spine, Forwards, Backs) over a 15-game rolling window. Best-17% reflects the proportion of each team's optimal lineup named for this round. CI/DS combines result-volatility and squad-disruption signals. Closing-line market data via The Odds API.

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