The first player born in the 1990s to debut in the NRL, McCullough will become just the fourth hooker to play 300 NRL games against the Rabbitohs. Remarkably it will come under Anthony Griffin, 14 years after they first encountered each other in the then fledgling NYC with Brisbane.

A reunion seemed unlikely when Griffin made way for the return of Wayne Bennett at the end of 2015, but came about when McCullough was admittedly at a career cross-road after also being deemed surplus to requirements in Brisbane at the end of 2020.

He looked anything but certain to reach the 300-game mark then, and the 32-year-old says to do it under Griffin and alongside best mate Ben Hunt will be a special moment.

"It's pretty crazy to be here now sitting next to Ben and Hook how it all started 14 years ago," McCullough said.

"With hindsight, it's pretty funny sitting here like this now. I was never searching for numbers or goals. As a young kid you're just coming in and out of grade and you're just happy to be there.

"It's just a blessing to be in the team each week and you enjoy it for what it is. After a little while you get a little bit more professional and realise what it takes to be a first-grader, the weekly grind and how hard it can be.

"You never know where the finish-line is, I've just enjoyed it. We've had plenty of good times, a few tough times like anyone, but we're here now. First and foremost we've got a good job to do after a bit of a hiccup last week.

"Putting the achievements or milestones aside, it's a team sport. Everyone's got a role to play and everyone just needs to stick to that. It's no different to any other week, you've just got to make sure you do your job and you'll get the rewards when you deserve it."

A 31-12 loss to a Cowboys side largely without its Origin stars last week saw the Dragons slip to 6-7 on the season with just one win over a top-eight side - a toppling of the Roosters on Anzac Day.

It leaves them in 10th spot but just one win adrift of the seventh-placed Rabbitohs who've been equally hit and miss against elite company this season. Both will be equally desperate to grab a crucial two points heading into a standalone representative weekend.

Read more: Dragons facing crucial home stretch at WIN Stadium

Thursday's clash will be followed by another clash in Wollongong against the Raiders ahead of a rough stretch that will make or break their finals charge.

The Dragons have another clash with the Cowboys to come, as well as two games against the top-four Broncos and Cronulla on the run home. It's a friendlier home stretch against the Raiders, Titans and Tigers, but Griffin said his team is well aware of the fact it will need to pinch points off top-eight opposition to feature in the finals.

"We're definitely capable of doing that, we've shown that in patches previously," Griffin said.

"They're all big games [coming up]. Souths are a great side, they've been a bit up and down, a bit like us, so it should be a really good game.

"In the context of our last performance it's an important game that we bounce back from that. If we do that for long enough tomorrow night we'll get the win we're looking for."

Download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Sign up for breaking news emails below ...