You’ve voted for your top three and there’s little surprise we see the three Souths Juniors as the front-runners for the Hostplus ‘Sustained Performer’ for 2020.
Each game Campbell Graham, Cameron Murray and Adam Reynolds always gave it their all and week-to-week showed consistency in their performances. Cast your mind back to the Semi Final win over Parramatta; it was only fitting that the trio combined for a try in that must-win match, with Murray being the one to finish off the play.
For the team at Hostplus, sustained performance means delivering strong investment returns to their members over the long term. It’s the same for the Rabbitohs, it’s not just one great game - it’s about consistently bringing your best, game after game, season after season.
CAMPBELL GRAHAM
Making his debut in 2017 as a skinny school kid, Campbell Graham has developed into a key Member of the Rabbitohs side in 2020. Beginning his career on the wing, Graham made the switch to the more-familiar position of centre full-time in 2020 and his game thrived with the added responsibility. Easily one of the most consistent performers for South Sydney in 2020, Graham stood up time-and-time again and in his 22 appearances ran for over 100 metres in 17 of those games.
Graham also bagged doubles against the Sea Eagles, Eels and Tigers and had a purple-patch of try-scoring form where he scored ten tries in seven games! He also showed his versatility playing on both edges when called upon.
Graham did not shy away from the challenges of defending in the centres making a couple of crucial one-on-one reads throughout the season and finishing with a tackle efficiency rate of 83%
CAMERON MURRAY
To the every-day spectator watching a game of rugby league, a lot of what Cameron Murray does well goes unnoticed, but it definitely does not go unnoticed to his teammates. The sign of true consistency is going about your job, where the difference between your good games and off games is very small - Cameron Murray optimises this very notion.
Murray is the first person to put his hand up to take the hard cary - You know, the ‘one-off-the-ruck’ run where the opposition’s line is set and you know you are about to get pummelled?! Somehow, Murray more-often-than-not manages to bounce away from first contact, find his elbows and knees and get up for a quick play-the-ball automatically sparking a roll-through the middle third of the field. Murray played lock, second-row, centre and even hooker still managing to get through the same amount of work and make an impact to his side.
Murray finished the season with a tackle efficiency of over 93%.
ADAM REYNOLDS
Adam Reynolds. Calm, collected, a leader. For as long as Adam Reynolds has been playing first grade he always played with a level of poise and calmness well beyond his years. After all, he steered South Sydney to a Premiership victory at just 24 years of age!
Since then, Reyno has developed his leadership after being admitted into the leadership team and then Captain in season 2020.
In 2020 Reynolds topped the point-scoring across the NRL with 221 points, kicking goals at 85% and thus winning the Dally M Top Point Scorer prize. His consistency exceeds just goal kicking however with Reyno generating a line drop-out with almost one a game.
Reynolds also displays consistency through his longevity. He brought up game 200 in his ninth season - averaging 22 games a season. For a smaller player, Reyno puts his body on the line and isn’t afraid to dig into the line and take a shot. In fact, he is probably the best half in the competition at straightening the attack even if that means copping one late for his troubles. Reynolds was ever reliable in defence and had his equal-lowest amount of missed tackles in a season in 2020.
So here is your Top Three Sustained Performers thanks to Hostplus, but we can only crown one who displayed the most consistency in their game during 2020. Was it Graham, Murray or Reynolds? Vote now!
