South Sydney hooker Issac Luke admits a host of the NRL club's stars will still be blowing out the cobwebs in their round one clash with the Sydney Roosters.

Luke is among several big-name Rabbitohs yet to pull on a boot in 2011, joining the likes of Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess and Luke Stuart.

The Kiwi dummy half is getting over a shoulder injury but, along with Inglis, Burgess and Stuart, is expected to be fit for round one, with only Michael Crocker and Jason Clark unavailable.

But match fitness will be another matter.

"I've been working towards round one, but with the shoulder I think I've just got to take a cup of cement and harden up," Luke told AAP.

"Last week I came through (contact work) and did a lot of contact and at the start of the week this week I did a bit as well.

"It's all about match fitness now and trying to push out those 80 minutes.

"We didn't really get to have a shot at the trial matches. We didn't get the cobwebs out. We have to wonder about round one now."

Coach John Lang concedes he's also wondering, particularly after thumping losses to St George Illawarra and Gold Coast in trials.

"It is a bit of a concern but you can only attack the circumstances that you're in," he said.

"That's where we are but in the end it doesn't matter, people aren't going to remember whether you trialled or not at the end of the season, you've just got to knuckle down and do the job.

"I don't think we can expect to go out and be at our best form in round one.

"We want to go out and apply ourselves and do the best job we can."

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