At this stage of the season every NRL team is dealing with long-term injuries and load management issues—but one legendary club is, officially, doing it tougher than the rest.
South Sydney Rabbitohs, take a bow.
According to weekly data compiled by NRL Physio Brien Seeney, the 16th-placed Bunnies had lost a whopping 168 games to player injuries before the start of this weekend’s Round 17—an average of more than 10 missing players every game.
To put this number into even sharper context, it’s 61 missed games more than their nearest injury-plagued rival in 2025, the Sydney Roosters (107 missed games).
MORE: NRL injury list 2025: Your club’s medical news, casualty ward, player return dates
Topping the injury list of woe for Wayne Bennett’s undermanned Rabbitohs, of course, is their inspirational captain Cam Murray who suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture back in February.
Veteran half Cody Walker has played just seven matches in 2025, missing six consecutive weeks between Rounds 7-14.
Mid-season forward signing Brandon Smith is another Rabbitoh to miss plenty of game time in 2025, with the kiwi international hoping to return from a ruptured ACL in Round 21.
Other key Bunnies to find themselves in the casualty ward in 2025 include Jack Wighton, Campbell Graham, Jamie Humphreys, Alex Johnston, Mikaele Ravalawa and Tyrone Munro.
“You just have to adapt”—Wayne Bennett
Following his side’s Magic Round thrashing at the hands of the Newcastle Knights, 30-4, Wayne Bennett refused to use the wounded roster as an excuse.
“If we use injuries as an excuse, we’re not going to get any better,” Bennett said in typically understated fashion.
“We’re just going to have to live with that.”
A month later, the super coach was again fielding injury-related questions after the Rabbitohs’ 30-36 home loss to the Warriors in Round 13.
“It (injury) creates its difficulties, but it’s the nature of the game,” Bennett said.
“You just have to adapt when you don’t have alternatives.
“Eight changes means someone has to play on the wing who’s never played there before in his life.
“Our halfback, I think he played three different positions tonight.”
At the opposite end of the injury scale, the New Zealand Warriors have been the least affected so far in 2025, with Wahs players missing just 46 weeks.
The Rabbitohs face one of Bennett’s former teams, the Dolphins, at Suncorp Stadium tonight as Round 17 continues.