The South Sydney Rabbitohs Canterbury Cup side have recorded their fourth win of the season in a tense 18-14 victory over the New Zealand Warriors in their Round 5 fixture at QBE Stadium.
A number of changes in the side saw winger Leigh Higgins revert to the custodian role, with the team welcoming young half Dean Hawkins and prop Kurt Dillon to the side for the first time in 2019 after both suffered injuries in the pre-season.
Backrower Dean Britt was a late omission from the team, while Jacob Gagan returned from his first-grade stint against the Sea Eagles.
Despite the Rabbitohs a number of new faces looking to rip in, it was the Warriors who were on the board first as centre Adam Pompey crossed over in the ninth minute. Five-eighth Adam Keighran then converted the try to give the home side a 6-nil advantage after ten.
The Red and Green took another blow soon after with backrower Trent Peoples going off for a HIA injury assessment, replaced by Jack Johns.
Not to be outdone by his countrymen, New Plymouth native Mawene Hiroti crossed over for his second try of the season to put the Rabbitohs on the board in the 24th minute. The winger converted his own try, levelling the scores with just over ten minutes to go in the half.
The Rabbitohs then went back-to-back through Peoples, having successfully returned to the field, managed to get himself on the tryscorer's sheet. Hiroti's second conversion then saw the side take a 12-6 lead heading into the break.
The Rabbitohs carried that momentum into the second half, with Johns scoring the side's next four-pointer in the 53rd minute. Hiroti's conversion gave the side hold a twelve-point lead going into the final quarter.
However, their opponents struck back twice with just less than ten minutes to go through fullback Hayze Perham and Pompey - scoring his second from a freakish bounce from the drop-out - but with the conversion unsuccessful, the Rabbitohs held a slender lead.
A tense final ten minutes saw both sides fight tooth and nail to seal the result, but it was the visitors who were singing Glory Glory in a comprehensive 18-14 victory.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 (Mawene Hiroti, Trent Peoples, Jack Johns tries; Mawene Hiroti 3 goals)
def
New Zealand Warriors 14 (Adam Pompey 2, Hayze Perham tries; Adam Keighran goal)
