LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Under-fire South Sydney Rabbitohs are facing an unwanted NRL first as they enter their final game of the regular season.
The team has been engulfed in turmoil, with the shock departure of assistant coach Sam Burgess and the poor form of Latrell Mitchell among their chief concerns.
The Rabbitohs are fighting to keep their season alive as they face off against their fierce rivals, the Sydney Roosters, on Friday night.
The outcome of this match will likely determine the finals hopes for both teams.
If the Rabbitohs lose and miss out on making the finals, it would be the greatest capitulation of the NRL era.
This would be a devastating blow for the club, which has already been through a tumultuous period.
The last time a team went from being at the top of the ladder in round 11 or later to missing out on the finals was in 1992, before the top-eight finals system was adopted.
The Bunnies are facing the very real possibility of missing out on the finals if they can't turn their late-season slump around and defeat the Roosters.
Injuries to key players, including Mitchell and Campbell Graham, have contributed to their decline.
Their defensive numbers have taken a drastic dip, with an average of 27.41 points conceded per game in the past 12 matches, compared to 13.64 points in the first 11 rounds.
To make matters worse, the Rabbitohs will be without Mitchell for the crucial clash against the Roosters due to his ban for elbowing Tyson Frizell in round 25.
This loss of a key player adds to the challenges that South Sydney will face as they try to secure a spot in the top-eight and avoid an unwanted NRL first.