It was a mixed bag for the South Sydney Rabbitohs Pathways sides this week, with some impressive victories littered throughout as the seniors finished their pre-season trials, while the junior representatives completed Round 3 of their respective competitions.
NSW Cup Trial: South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 def St George Illawarra Dragons 10
Prior to the Charity Shield match, the NSW Cup side performed strongly in their final trial for 2023 with a 28-10 victory over St George Illawarra in Mudgee.
Pushed back to a 10:30am kick-off due to the searing conditions, the Rabbitohs – much like their NRL counterparts – were far from deterred from the heat, running in five tries to two in an impressive effort ahead of the season proper.
Winger Tom Carr scored a double, while Zac Makelim, Bayleigh Bentley-Hape and Tom Giles found themselves on the scoresheet, with halfback Jarrett Subloo kicking four from five with the boot.
Made even more impressive was the fact that the side continued their strong form into the second half, despite key figures Michael Chee-Kam, Terrell Kalo Kalo and Jacob Gagai being taken from the field to feature in the Charity Shield match.
“I was very happy with their performance,” said Rabbitohs Head of Elite Pathways and Player Development, Joe O’Callaghan.
“It was pretty pleasing to see how the bulk of the side went travelling up to Mudgee the night before and were back on a bus to Sydney right after. It was really pleasing to see how they handled the very trying conditions.
“It was our first look at that group this year as a combined unit with our guys who train at night and the surplus guys from the NRL squad. They gelled really well, and the other highlight was defensively – only conceding two tries in the heat.”
Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership Round 3: Wests Tigers 23 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 22
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership side, who went down gallantly 23-22 against defending Premiers the Wests Tigers at Kirkham Oval in Camden.
Aaliyah Paki and Paige Knapp gave the Red and Green an early lead, and while the hosts came out of the sheds at half-time up by eight points, the Red and Greens were able to reclaim their advantage with further four-pointers to Charlette Butler and Tasmin Barber.
Unfortunately, the Rabbitohs were pipped at the death by a field goal, despite their brave effort, but there are still bright signs ahead from Shane Sultana's determined outfit.
Jersey Flegg Cup Trial: South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 def St George Illawarra Dragons 12
The final trial for the Jersey Flegg Under 21s side ahead of their 2023 season saw the Cardinal and Myrtle make it three from three against the Dragons over the weekend, in a 20-12 win.
In a five-tries-to-three victory, with no goal-kicking involved, it was strong performances from James Kokkinos and Carson Kaho – who scored a hat-trick – that impressed plenty.
Trio Louis Grossemy, Romano Cook and Jaxson Rahme seamlessly slotted into the side for the first time in 2023 after spending the off-season with the NRL squad in a promising outing for the Jersey Flegg side.
SG Ball Cup Round 3: Western Suburbs Magpies 50 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 4
It was a tough assignment heading to Camden for the SG Ball Under 19s team, who were comprehensively defeated 50-4 against the Western Suburbs Magpies.
The Rabbitohs hit back after a fast start from their opponents to keep the scoreline to 16-4 at the break, but further injuries to an already decimated side made for a hard finish for the young side.
However, the side will have five rounds to turn around their form, which will no doubt be aided by returning troops in the coming weeks.
In a positive, the development of young forward Thomas Fletcher continued to blossom as he was promoted to the Charity Shield side, in an exciting sign of things to come from the youthful crop.
Tarsha Gale Cup Round 3: South Sydney Rabbitohs 26 def Wests Tigers 0
The Tarsha Gale Under 19s celebrated their first victory of the season with a comprehensive 26-nil victory over the Wests Tigers, which has them in 5th place on the competition ladder.
Shanelle Lyons kicked off the scoring in the 10th minute, with hooker Te Ramaarie Muru-Hauraki adding to the scoresheet to give the young Rabbitohs a 12-nil buffer at the break.
Lyons bagged her brace to open the scoring in the second stanza, while centre Aneko Luamanu-Winitana completed a double of her own to extend the scores as front rower Cherellyn Tapuai put the cherry on top in the 56th minute.
Coming off a winless season in 2022, the victory was evident of the positive changes implemented from Head Coach Dale Jackson, as well as the bond and connection within the new-look group.
Harold Matthews Cup Round 3: Western Suburbs Magpies 32 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 12
It was a disappointing result for the Harold Matthews Under 17s side, who were downed 32-12 by Wests.
Following a back-and-forth first quarter which saw the scores at nil-all, the Rabbitohs found themselves trailing 18-nil at the break with a mountain to climb in the second stanza.
Despite being unable to reel in the result, the youthful side had a much improved second half, scoring two tries to three, with the effort showing the true potential of the side.
Moving Forward
The South Sydney Rabbitohs NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg sides will have the weekend off before kick-starting their respective seasons on March 4 along with the NRL squad, while the remaining Pathways sides take on the Newcastle Knights up in Kurri Kurri for their Round 4 matches.
More Pathways action will kick off in the coming weeks, with the Lisa Fiola Cup Under 17s kicking off and Under 16s and Under 18s men’s development games to follow.
