While Arrow and hooker Brandon Smith (calf) remain sidelined, the Rabbitohs injury toll is a far cry from the eye-watering casualty ward the club has endured over the past two seasons.

Alex Johnston (hamstring) and Bud Sullivan (infection) have both been named to play in recruit David Fifita’s first game for Souths, while the Dolphins welcome star forwards Tom Gilbert and Thomas Flegler back from lengthy lay-offs.

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Elsewhere, Manly have named playmaking prodigy Joey Walsh on the bench for his second NRL game behind veterans Luke Brooks and Jamal Fogarty on Saturday night, when Fogarty takes on his old Raiders outfit.

Canberra will play former Knights skipper Jayden Brailey off the bench ahead of last year’s breakout star Owen Pattie, who will start the season in NSW Cup to build up his minutes.

Penrith will be without Liam Martin against Brisbane, though the NSW and Australian back-rower is expected to miss just one game due to a calf issue. Broncos veteran Ben Hunt has been named as a bench utility with Corey Paix to start at hooker.

Sua Fa’alogo starts at fullback for Melbourne in Thursday’s clash with Parramatta after Ryan Papenhuyzen’s exit from the club, while Nick Meaney shifts to the wing to replace Xavier Coates (Achilles). Former Storm playmaker Jonah Pezet will line up opposite his old teammates in his Eels debut.

Former Bronco denies bagging coach Maguire with social media ‘like’

Adrian Proszenko

Former Brisbane forward Alex Glenn has rubbished suggestions he disrespected coach Michael Maguire by liking a controversial social media post.

Glenn, who works for the Broncos as a game-day host, vehemently denied bagging Maguire after liking a post with the headline quote “What I do keep hearing a lot is Madge’s name being mentioned … but not in positive ways.”

It’s a quote attributed to Mark Geyer on Maguire’s coaching methods. Below that, there’s a subhead stating: “Pressure is beginning to build around Broncos coach Michael Maguire. Will we see Brisbane go back-to-back this year?”

Glenn clarified that he was liking the latter part of comment, rather than questioning Maguire’s approach.

“Any suggestion that I was expressing negativity towards Madge is an absolute joke and completely unfounded,” Glenn said in a statement.

“I am a massive advocate for Madge and only liked the post because it asked the specific question, ’Will we see Brisbane go back to back this year?

“I liked the post only to affirm my support on that specific point. All our fans know that no one cheers harder for Madge and the Broncos than I do.”

Glenn, who helped host a tour group of Broncos supporters to England for the World Club Challenge, also released a video explaining himself to ensure he wasn’t taken out of context.

Another former Broncos forward, Martin Taupau, was sacked after he liked an Instagram post questioning Maguire’s methods last year.

Maguire coached the Broncos to the premiership last season, just a year after guiding the Blues to a State of Origin series victory. However, some pundits continue to question whether his hard-nosed approach to training is sustainable.

Glenn insisted he isn’t one of them.

“Everyone knows that I support Madge and have always loved that he is coming to this club because hard work always beats talent,” Glenn said in the video.

“What I mean by that is, if you’re having a cry or whinge about being trained too hard … then you are in the wrong industry …

“You have to train your arse off to be champions and the boys were proving that last year … Don’t go out and try to create a divide between me and the club or me and Madge. It ain’t gonna work, I support him through and through.”

Decision that helped Bulldogs down Dragons was almost too close to call

Christian Nicolussi

Bronson Xerri was adamant the ball was stripped. Ryan Couchman and his St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan were convinced it was a loose carry by Xerri.

As for the NRL, the call was so tight that sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly said the bunker would not have had sufficient evidence to over-rule the original decision.

The controversial penalty awarded to Xerri by referee Grant Atkins in the 89th minute of Sunday’s golden-point thriller was the biggest talking point out of the season opener in Las Vegas, with the Dogs allowed to march downfield and set up captain Stephen Crichton for the winning field-goal with six seconds left on the clock.

A furious Flanagan said afterwards: “It’s a loose carry every day of the week, without a doubt. We didn’t get the rub of the green, that’s for sure.”

But Xerri insisted the right call had been made, revealing the Bulldogs had worked on their ball control over the summer.

“It was definitely a strip, I was confident, and if they had ruled it was a knock-on, I would have definitely told ‘Critta’ [Crichton] to challenge it,” Xerri said. “I back myself. We do a lot of reps [making sure we hold on to the ball].”

Unsurprisingly, Couchman took the opposing view. “I thought it was a tough call,” the Dragons prop said. “The referees have to make a decision, they do their best, but I’m disappointed with it. I didn’t think it was a strip.

“My first thought was to challenge. ‘Gutho’ [co-captain Clint Gutherson] said, ‘We don’t have a challenge’, so my next thought was to try and stop a field goal.

“Not walking away with the two points, that’s what’s deflating. It was a tough loss, but the boys put in a good effort, and we should be super proud.”

The NRL’s club relationship manager of elite officiating, David Fairleigh, sent a memo to all coaches just last week with a list of rule changes and interpretations, which included stealing the ball.

“Stealing the ball will be determined by the defending player(s) actions,” Fairleigh wrote. “These actions may include striking at the ball, gripping and pulling at the ball or pulling a ball carries arm to dislodge the ball.”