Rabbitohs Defeat Tigers in Close Encounter at Campbelltown

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have defeated the Wests Tigers 22-12 in a what was an absolute nail-biter – despite the ten-point gap at the end.

The Rabbitohs started off strongly, setting themselves a good platform in the first half before Wests Tigers looked to push the comeback in the second.

The Tigers looked likely towards the end of the match when Tallis Duncan got sent to the sin bin, followed by a try to Api Koroisau to narrow the gap to four.

However the Rabbitohs were able to hang on, and managed a late try to Jai Arrow which put the victory beyond any doubt.

Keaon Koloamatangi was immense in the middle, making 27 runs for 329m and executing 51 tackles in an 80-minute performance.

Jamie Humphreys too was pivotal at halfback, kicking South Sydney out of trouble many times with his massive boot for a game high of 496m.

Siliva Havili was first to get on the on the scoresheet, crossing from close range to open South Sydney's account.

The sustained pressure after three consecutive attacking sets from the Rabbitohs proved too much for the Tigers to handle, with Havili quick to capitalise thanks to a burrowing effort from dummy half in the tenth minute.

An intercept and a 60m run from Alex Johnston saw the Rabbitohs promptly back on the attack just minutes later.

Isaiah Tass tried to take advantage of Wests’ scattered defensive line with a dummy half run off the back of the Johnston break, and was stopped just centimetres short of the line by an offside Lachlan Galvin. This resulted in a trip to the sin-bin for Galvin, and the Tigers reduced to 12 for the next ten minutes.

The Rabbitohs made the most of having the extra player, as Euan Aitken scored his side’s second try of the game in the 24th minute.

Jayden Sullivan made the initial bust, spotting a gap to run 50m before unloading to Aitken in support. Some creative interplay between Aitken and Campbell Graham saw the ball end up back with Aitken, who spotted a path to the line and took advantage.

The Tigers hit back on the stroke of halftime through Api Koroisau, who ran 70m on his own for a fantastic solo try to make the score 12-6 in favour of the Rabbitohs at the break.

The second half began with an intense arm wrestle, as neither side was able to make the other blink for close to 20 minutes.

It was South Sydney who broke the standoff in the 59th minute through Alex Johnston who finished off a magnificent left side play with the 197th try of his illustrious career.

The Rabbitohs would find themselves down to 12 after Tallis Duncan was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul, slowing down the play the ball when the Tigers were on the attack.

Wests were quick to take advantage, with Koroisau again sneaking through after some crafty dummy half play. The successful conversion from Adam Doueihi saw the Tigers trail by 16-12 with ten minutes on the clock, setting up a grandstand finish to the game.

South Sydney defended valiantly with one less player, while the Tigers threw plenty at the Red and Green in attack.

Galvin looked to have scored the match-winner in the 76th minute, however closer inspection from the Bunker revealed a knock on in attempting to ground the ball thanks to a late effort from Graham in the tackle.

The Rabbitohs then went all the way up the other end of the field and put the match beyond doubt thanks to a try from a crash play to Jai Arrow close to the line. Latrell Mitchell kicked the conversion, putting the final score at 22-12 to seal another fantastic South Sydney win.

Match Snapshot

• South Sydney drew first blood in the tenth minute through Siliva Havili.
• Lachlan Galvin was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate offside tackle in the 18th minute.
• The Rabbitohs increased their lead to 12-0 through Euan Aitken in the 24th minute.
• The Wests Tigers opened their account through Api Koroisau on the stroke of halftime.
• Alex Johnston scored South Sydney’s third try in the 59th minute.
• Tallis Duncan was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul in the 68th minute.
• Api Koroisau got the Tigers within four points with just ten minutes to go.
• Jai Arrow sealed the deal for the Rabbitohs, crossing from close range in the 79th minute for a final score of 22-12.

Play of the Game

This week’s play of the game goes to Alex Johnston, who finished off a wonderful set play to rack up career try number 197. It was a short side raid from the Rabbitohs, with Jamie Humphreys sending the ball through the hands of Tallis Duncan, then Isaiah Tass, and finally to Johnston, who sprinted the final 10m to score untouched in the corner as he has so many times already in his career.

What’s Next?

The Rabbitohs have a bye in round 12. They will look to make the most of their week off to rest and recover in preparation for a huge clash with the Warriors the following week at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.