Latrell Mitchell has been cleared to play in Souths season opener against the Dolphins following the NRL's agreement to allow him serve a one-match ban by missing the Indigenous and Māori All Stars fixture next month.
Eels recruit Josh Addo-Carr has also been granted the same, meaning the former Bulldog will be eligible to return from a four-match ban earlier than expected against his former club.
According to reports, all 17 clubs were notified of the league's decision to have the All Stars match count as part of their bans.
Mitchell was handed a one-match suspension following an off-field incident in August - a sanction unable to be served throughout the final rounds of the 2024 season, despite Rabbitohs attempts, while the 27-year-old sat out with injury.
Addo-Carr was handed a four-match ban in relation to a positive roadside test on the eve of the finals - which ultimately ended his time at Canterbury before a move to Parramatta.
The winger ruled himself out of the Bulldogs' elimination final, which has been counted towards the ban.
It sets up a potential tense return to play in round three against the Bulldogs.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed Mitchell will also be eligible to feature in Souths' Charity Shield preseason game against the Dragons the weekend following the All Stars match.
"The National Rugby League has today advised the South Sydney Rabbitohs that the application for Latrell Mitchell to serve his one-match suspension in the 2025 NRL All Stars match has been approved," Souths said in a statement.
Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly said the club are "pleased to have this matter finalised".
"It now gives the Club, Latrell and Wayne (Bennett) clarity on when he will serve his suspension and will help narrow the focus onto round one," he said.
"We can all now move forward and get ready for the start of a huge season which begins with the pre-season matches in February and the start of the season-proper in March."
On Tuesday, Solly told SEN Radio Mitchell's late-season challenges have been a "wake up call" spurring the fullback's strong start to preparations for the coming season.
The Bunnies boss credited Mitchell for his leadership and fitness, amongst positive signs across the playing group under returning coach Wayne Bennett.
"He knows the culture of the club, he knows what we stand for," Solly said of Bennett, who held the reins at the Rabbitohs between 2019-21 before signing on to rejoin mid-way through last year.
"He's being pretty direct with the players about what he thought we were lacking in the last couple of seasons, and the sacrifices that they had to make to get us back to the top of the table…you can see from the fitness of the players and the body shape and just the mentality around the building that they've taken that on board, and none more so than Latrell."
"Latrell's challenges towards the back end of last year were pretty public, and he's taken that as probably almost the wake up call that he needed to concentrate on a family and his own fitness to make sure that he started the preseason in the best possible shape. And credit to him, he's been wonderful."
Solly also provided an update on Alex Johnston, saying the winger is "meeting every single marker" on route to returning, but is "touch-and-go" on slotting into their side for round one on return from an achilles injury.
Johnston is 17 tries short of Ken Irvine's all-time, 50-year-old tally of 212.
"No one's keen to get back on the field and start scoring some tries and Alex, so if he's not back for round one he'll be back pretty soon thereafter, if he continues to recover at the pace he has since he has the surgery." Solly said.
Solly added he hadn't seen veteran half Cody Walker look fitter as he comes back from an end of season knee surgery.
The Souths travel to Brisbane to face the Dolphins in round one, with their first home match against reigning premiers Penrith at Accor Stadium in the fourth week of the season.
The men's and women's All Stars fixtures are scheduled for February 15 at CommBank stadium in Sydney.
