Keaon Koloamatangi Clash with Knights for Round 19

Keaon Koloamatangi says South Sydney must hold onto the ball and respect possession if they want to secure the two competition points against Newcastle this week, after a disappointing loss last round.

Focus on completion against the Knights

The Rabbitohs forward acknowledged the team's disappointment after missing out on competition points last week, but said the squad had moved forward quickly after a productive video session. South Sydney now turns its attention to Newcastle, with Koloamatangi identifying ball control as the key area requiring improvement.

"Just gotta complete, win the game up until halftime and then after halftime three areas in a row and if you do that to any team in the comp it's going to be very hard to win," he said. "Just respecting the ball more. Obviously there's a few positives as well to take out of it but mainly just hold the ball and when we hold the ball we're unstoppable."

The prop said the team needed to put last week behind them and focus on executing their game plan against the Knights, with completion rates the primary concern heading into the clash.

Back to full fitness

Koloamatangi confirmed he is no longer hampered by the knee injury that affected him earlier in the season. The forward said he benefited from the bye round a fortnight ago and is now operating at full capacity.

"It's good now, it's good to go. I had a good bye a couple of weeks ago and my knee felt good, so back to 100%," he said.

The prop has played back-to-back 80-minute performances and said his match fitness has returned to normal levels. With nine games remaining in the regular season and finals on the horizon, Koloamatangi said he would give his best for the team regardless of how many minutes he plays each week.

Walker's absence and next man up

With Cody Walker unavailable at five-eighth this week, Koloamatangi expressed confidence in whoever steps into the role against Newcastle. He said multiple players gained valuable experience in the position last year when Walker was sidelined with injuries, meaning the situation is not unfamiliar to the squad.

The forward said he had no particular preference for who fills the void, trusting that whoever gets the opportunity will do a good job in what he acknowledged is an important role to fill.

Support for teammate

"Everything that's going on at the moment, the main thing for him is to focus on his family, his little one and obviously getting married over the weekend," Koloamatangi said. "It's just good to see him smile and just doing stuff while he's going through his sickness and just trying to find anything positive going forward. He knows that we all have his back and whatever he needs we'll be there."

The prop said the entire squad supports their teammate and hopes to see him soon.