The Rabbitohs have gone down 28-14 to the Dragons on a rainy evening at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
It was a tight, albeit error-riddled contest in spite of the final score, with Souths well in the game until about the 70-minute mark.
However, St George Illawarra’s ability to control possession better in the wet weather, ultimately led to them coming out on top.
The Dragons were first to trouble the scorers through Zac Lomax, who was the benefactor of a Ben Hunt grubber kick in the ninth minute of the game.
A knock-on from Lomax coming out of trouble gifted the Rabbitohs a full set of six deep in enemy territory. Rabbitohs managed to capitalise through returning fullback Latrell Mitchell, who scored off a Cody Walker grubber in what was close to a mirror image of the Dragons’ first try.
St George Illawarra were next to score, regaining their lead when Tyrell Sloan put Jack Bird through a gap to force his way over the line. Rabbitohs went close to drawing back level in the 39th minute through Walker, however they were denied by the bunker thanks to a contentious Jai Arrow knock-on.
The Dragons would then draw further ahead on the stroke of half time, with Lomax kicking his second 2-point field goal of the season to put Rabbitohs behind 12-6 at the break.
The Dragons were first to score in the second half thanks to a penalty goal from Lomax after the Rabbitohs gave away an infringement for an escort in the first set of the new half.
Rabbitohs were quick to hit back though, as Izaac Tu’itupou Thompson crossed in the very next set after a beautiful cut-out ball from Latrell Mitchell saw Lomax caught badly out of position in defence on the wing.
With just a four-point deficit, the Rabbitohs were looking to roll their sleeves up and settle into a rhythm as they tried to wrestle back the momentum of the match.
However, an error coming out of their own end saw the Dragons presented with a perfect opportunity to attack. They were able to score through former Rabbitoh Jaydn Su’a, extending their lead to 10 points in the 58th minute.
Rabbitohs’ frustration was further compounded as a penalty for dissent saw the Dragons extend their lead by another two points thanks to a Lomax penalty goal.
The Rabbitohs had several chances to get back into the contest late. However a try to Jack de Belin with eight minutes remaining extinguished any hope of a Rabbitohs comeback.
Latrell Mitchell did manage a consolation try – his second for the match – after pouncing on a loose ball in the in-goal with three minutes left on the clock. This would wind up being the final scoring play of the match, leaving the score at 28-14 in favour of the Dragons at full time.
Match Snapshot
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St George Illawarra opened the scoring through Zac Lomax who pounced on a Ben Hunt grubber to the corner.
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South Sydney managed a hit back through Latrell Mitchell, who combined with Cody Walker to score.
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The Dragons regained their lead when Jack Bird barged over the line running off a Tyrell Sloan short ball.
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A two-point field goal on the stroke of half time saw the two sides go to the break with a 12-6 score line in favour of St George Illawarra.
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An escort penalty in the first set of the second half gifted Lomax and the Dragons two points in the first set of the second half.
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Rabbitojs scored next through Izaac Tu’itupou Thompson who was the recipient of a great cut-out ball from Cody Walker.
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The Dragons extended their lead further through Jaydn Su’a in the 58th minute.
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A penalty for dissent saw the Dragons draw further ahead.
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A try to Jack de Belin put the result beyond doubt for St George Illawarra in the 72nd minute.
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Latrell Mitchell scores a consolation try in the 77th minute as the final scoring play of the game.
Play of the Game
South Sydney’s first try of the game was a fantastic exhibition of skill and understanding from two of their marquee superstars. A perfectly-weighted grubber kick from 200-gamer Cody Walker found its way to the in-goal with barely a Dragons’ defender in sight. Returning fullback Latrell Mitchell was able to sneak past the defence and get to the ball first, providing South Sydney Members and fans with a reminder of how lethal the Walker-Mitchell combination can be.
What’s Next?
The Rabbitohs will travel north to Brisbane for a huge Magic Round clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in the last game on Saturday night.
