After a strong showing over in Auckland against the New Zealand Warriors, there were certainly some moments for the South Sydney Rabbitohs' highlights reel at season's end.
Here are seven big talking points from our solid 20-point win.
1. A Tough Start
Contradicting the side's previous starts, it was the Warriors who were first on the board on Saturday night. It was a harsh start for the men in Red and Green as the Warriors got three penalties in a row, leading to their first try. Soon after, front rower Tom Burgess was sent to the sin-bin for multiple infringements.
2. Overcoming Adversity
With their backs well and truly against the wall, once again Souths overcame the opening adversity to post two tries with a man down.
The side never panicked, and after the outside backs and forwards combined to get a roll-on downfield, George Burgess slammed the ball over the line for his second try in as many weeks.
Just minutes later, a slick backline shift saw returning winger Robert Jennings cross, and all of a sudden the Rabbitohs were ahead, and they never looked back.
3. A Big Night For The Burgesses
Seeing their grandmother in the stands meant it was always going to be a big match for the Burgess brothers. Although Tom and Sam were sent to the sin-bin at different points of the match, both twins managed to score tries in the same match for the first time in their careers.
Sam finished the match with 113 metres and 35 tackles, while George managed 85 metres from seven runs, with Tom producing 111 metres, 39 of those post-contact.
4. GI's Rock Solid Performance
It's been nearly 18 months since we've seen Greg Inglis don the famous no.1 jersey and, on Saturday, he proved that he's still got it.
As the match wore on, GI was in everything, sending Robert Jennings over for a try and then scoring one himself just minutes later. But it was his defence that impressed most, shutting down the Warriors on multiple occasions, particularly with his desperate on-line defence.
5. Scoreless For 70 Minutes
That's what the Warriors were on Saturday night, which coincided with arguably the team's best defensive effort of the year.
No matter how hard they tried, the home side just couldn't crack the Rabbitohs' resolute defence for a large portion of the match. They finished with one try in the first five minutes after a glut of penalties, and another when Souths were one man down. Talk about hustle.
6. He's Ageing Like A Fine Wine
Although the Burgess triumvirate and Inglis had strong games, my man of the match was John Sutton, who orchestrated the left hand-side to near perfection.
Sutto finished the match with 122 metres, 31 tackles and an all-important match sealing try early in the second half, and nearly bagged a double soon after. Despite turning 34 at year's end, the proud Souths junior proved that he isn't slowing down anytime soon.
7. An Adventurous Finish
The match may have been won, but the expansive style of play the Red and Green brought didn't stop as the Rabbitohs continued to probe the Warriors defence.
It was great to see the side continue to chance their arm despite having the match all sown up. Adam Reynolds was centimetres from landing a 40/20 and Adam Doueihi's soccer-like cross kick nearly yielding a try for Campbell Graham shows that there's plenty of confidence and flair in this Rabbitohs outfit.
*These views are the opinion of the writer and not an official statement from the Club
