All three South Sydney sides went undefeated against the Penrith Panthers this weekend, with the NSW Cup team's last-gasp victory a highlight in their season so far.
NSW Cup Round 8: South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 def Penrith Panthers 16
Just prior to the NRL side completing an almighty comeback of their own, it was the NSW Cup Rabbitohs who pipped the Penrith Panthers 18-16 with a last-minute try at Accor Stadium.
The Red and Green raced out to a 14-4 half-time lead thanks to tries via Tom Carr and Brock Gray, and while the 2022 Premiers hit back to take a late lead, the Rabbitohs never gave up despite their monumental task.
A clever 40/20 kick from halfback Dean Hawkins put the Cardinal and Myrtle in prime position for a late assault, and quick hands out wide put young winger Cody Hodge in for the match-winner in the 79th minute.
Goal-kicking proved to be a major factor as well, despite the fact that Penrith scored four tries to three, with Blake Taaffe's three goals making all the difference.
It was a famous victory, and one that represents the hard work and dedication of his side, according to Head Coach and Head of Elite Pathways and Development, Joe O'Callaghan.
"It was a really tough-fought win for the boys," O'Callaghan said.
"Where they sit on the ladder doesn’t represent the effort they have put in this season - there have been a few tight losses which have hurt, so it's pleasing to see them get a result for their efforts.
"It was a dominant first half against the 2022 Premiers, and to their credit, the Panthers turned the scoreline around quickly, but they showed resilience to not get too rattled by the change.
"We went from leading the whole game to being behind with ten to go and showed calmness and resilience and stayed in the fight. They played right to the end and got the result in the last play.
"What swung that was hard work and hopefully they can keep on that trajectory in the coming weeks."
Despite missing a number of middle forwards who were on NRL duty, it was a key quartet who stepped up to the plate and proved to make the difference in the battle against the Panthers.
"It’s been noted for a good month that we are down a few middles, especially front rowers," O'Callaghan explained.
Head of Elite Pathways and DevelopmentWe went from leading the whole game to being behind with ten to go and showed calmness and resilience and stayed in the fight. They played right to the end and got the result in the last play.
"And with a four-day turnaround, we changed things up by putting Jaxson Rahme and 'Buddy' Gordon in the starting side, as opposed to their usual roles coming from the bench.
"Those two guys are at very different ends of their careers, but they paired well to lay a platform and the side had an 8-nil lead after their opening stint to set up the game.
"We got the best out of Brock Gray and Tallis Duncan who both came from the interchange bench to keep the momentum going, with Brock scoring a try just before half-time."
Jersey Flegg Cup Round 8: South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 draw with Penrith Panthers 24
While they managed to split the points with heavyweights Penrith, the Jersey Flegg Rabbitohs were dealt a tough lesson in their Round 8 clash in a 24-all draw that went down to the wire.
Buoyed by the home support at Redfern Oval, the Red and Green ran in a dominant first half to lead 18-6 at the break, however, their opponents ran in two late tries to leave the match in a stalemate come full-time.
While the final result was a tough lesson following an impressive first third of the season, for Joe O'Callaghan, there are plenty of reasons to be pleased from the outing against last year's Premiers.
Head of Elite Pathways and DevelopmentThe key thing is that they learn from it – it won’t be the first time they find themselves in that situation and they need to be able to close out a game. It's best to have those kinds of lessons in Round 8 and not in Round 26.
“It’s a tough lesson, but I love the fact that this is the standard of our pathways program where we’re disappointed with a draw against a club like Penrith,” he said.
“[Head Coach] Chris O’Connell and his staff have created a culture where we expect to win every time we take the field. This side got the wooden spoon last year with a very similar squad, but now they want to win every game no matter who the opposition is.
"Defensively they showed a lot of resilience, at one point in the first half they defended five consecutive sets but still only let in one try.
“The dressing room felt like a loss, and that showed our standards, which impresses me. It's a great sign for our future NRL players. Credit to Penrith, they hung in and didn’t give up themselves and showed their calibre in how they came back.
“The key thing is that they learn from it – it won’t be the first time they find themselves in that situation and they need to be able to close out a game. It's best to have those kinds of lessons in Round 8 and not in Round 26."
For O'Callaghan, two young forwards proved to be standouts in the contest; one being a namesake of an NRL star and the other a promising up-and-comer from the SG Ball side.
"I thought it was Romano Cook’s best game of the year at hooker," he said.
"He controlled the speed of the ruck and had some great touches throughout the first half.
"I also thought young Thomas Fletcher proved to be a handful for the defence. The Panthers struggled to contain him throughout the contest."
Moving Forward
Both the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup sides will travel to the Riverina to face the Canberra Raiders in Wagga Wagga for their respective Round 9 matches in a timely opportunity, according to O'Callaghan.
"It couldn’t have come at a better time," he said.
"It's a great period for the teams in their eighth match one-third of the way in their season. It's a good opportunity to get away and spend time together on and off the field.
"Hopefully it’s a positive bus ride on the way home."