As if the NRL isn't difficult enough to predict, the season has been suspended for an indefinite period and we're not sure how it will look when it gets back underway.

Nevertheless, each team has played two games, and while the sample size is small and plenty can change between now and whenever the Grand Final will be, there are still a few questions to be asked and answered.

For the Rabbitohs, it's their pack that is the worry. They lost long-serving and key contributors to retirement over the summer. While the backline boasts some of the best attacking names in rugby league, those in the engine room need to get the ball rolling.

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Can The Rabbitohs Pack Get Up The Field?

Round 1: Yes

Round 2: No

We've seen the best and worst of the Rabbitohs middle already this season.

Tevita Tatola (198m), Thomas Burgess (131m) and Liam Knight (143m) combined for 472 metres against the Sharks in Round 1. They marched up the field to give Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker and Damien Cook all of the opportunities they need to manufacture points.

A week later, and the trio managed just 237 running metres between them. The Broncos forward pack had their way with the Rabbitohs. Only one starting Brisbane forward failed to run for over 100 metres while Burgess and Cameron Murray just ticked over triple-figures with 113 metres each.

The general feeling throughout the preseason was the Rabbitohs pack would struggle to compete with the stronger teams through the middle. No matter how dangerous their backline looks on paper, the pack wouldn't be capable of feeding them good ball regularly enough to put it into practice.

We're only two weeks in, and like we saw in Round 1, the Rabbitohs middle is capable. However, it's difficult to see them consistently holding up through the centre-third to beat the likes of the Storm, Roosters and Raiders of the competition.

They have the speed and mobility to attack lazy defenders around the ruck; Aaron Woods found out as much once or twice in Round 1. But that first requires a platform to be set. 

Can the Rabbitohs middle play up to a top standard regularly enough to compete every week?

What we've seen so far suggests not. However, Wayne Bennett and the Rabbitohs brains trust have an indefinite period to formulate a plan while the competition is suspended. 

Can Latrell Mitchell Thrive At Fullback?

"He's already been talked about as the best player in the NRL once before. This can be the year he genuinely achieves that tag should the change of position and scenery unlock the remaining untapped potential."

We're only two games into 2020, but Mitchell hasn't come close to playing up to his potential. In fact, he's managed to go downhill despite playing in a more high-profile and demanding position.

Hooked in the 56th minute against the Sharks and shifted into the centres around the same time against the Broncos, Mitchell's time at fullback has been disappointing, to say the least.

In a position where he can pop up and be involved as he pleases, Mitchell is only touching the ball 21.5 times per game. The 81.95 metres he's averaged across two games is less than two of his last three seasons he spent in the centres.

Mitchell's splits in the Rabbitohs loss to the Broncos paint a worrying picture.

He touched the ball just 16 times in his 59 minutes at fullback. Meanwhile, Alex Johnston spent his 21 minutes at fullback sniffing around the ruck to record 11 receipts and 59 running metres.

Moved to the centres for the final 21 minutes, Mitchell recorded four touches.

1 - A break down the left which ended with Mitchell throwing the ball into touch

2 - A one-out hit up off a scrum

3 - A pass out of dummy half

4 - A short-ball off Cody Walker's shoulder

Ignoring the pass out of dummy half, one run is all Mitchell added in the final 13 minutes of the game.

With his team searching for a match-winner, Mitchell was absent.

So, that's the bad part.

It's not all bad, though.

There is hope for Mitchell as a fullback if he can produce the work rate required at the position. 

He displayed some quick hands with a defender in his face when shovelling the ball onto Campbell Graham on Friday night. Mitchell would have been credited with the try assist had his winger not lost the ball diving for the line.

It's the threat of those quick hands that forced Jesse Arthars out of the line early later in the match.

While it's a poor read from Arthars, his desperation to closeout Mitchell is what can make the Rabbitohs left edge so dangerous.

If it's not his ball-playing that draws attention, it's his destructive running game.

Teams have seen what Mitchell can do if he winds up close to the line as a centre. If he's hitting the ball at speed out the back of a sweeping block play, good luck stopping him. Just the threat of him receiving the ball close to the line was enough for Arthars to make the wrong decision on this occasion.

But, again, it comes down to work rate. For Mitchell to take the attention of defenders or be in a position to go on one of his barnstorming runs, he first needs to get in position.

With so few positives to come from the NRL suspending the season, Mitchell having time to get fit is the smallest of silver linings.

Are The Bunnies Contenders?

At 5.6% to win the 2020 NRL Grand Final, the Stats Insider Futures Model  isn't too bullish on South Sydney's chances.

Six teams are above the Rabbitohs after Round 2. All of which - Storm (22.2%), Raiders (16%), Roosters (11.9%), Eels (11.1%), Broncos (6.9%), Sea Eagles (6.6%) - can expect to win the battle through the middle on any given week.

Therein lies the problem for the Rabbitohs. From what we've seen so far, the chances of Souths winning up to three finals games before kicking off a Grand Final is slim. 

Perhaps Hame Sele, Tom Amone or Patrick Mago can take the next step in their young carriers to become the extra big body the Rabbitohs need in the middle of the field. Amone, in particular, has a big fan in assistant coach Jason Demetriou who had high hopes for the 23-year-old heading into 2020.

For all the exciting names in the backline and potential for Latrell Mitchell to be one of the best fullbacks in the competition (if he wants to be), the Rabbitohs look too light in the middle at the moment.

They appear to be in a holding pattern waiting for Jai Arrow to arrive more than they are premiership contenders in 2020.

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