Round Rewind: Inglis Stuns Suncorp Stadium in Anzac Day Thriller

In a classic Anzac Day showdown at Suncorp Stadium, the Rabbitohs edged out the Broncos 28-26 in one of the great contests of 2014. It was a night remembered for Greg Inglis’ 90-metre solo try, a dream debut finish from Alex Johnston and a late Reynolds penalty that sealed the win in front of over 44,000 fans.

Souths wasted no time asserting themselves. Greg Inglis took an early touch, stepping into the line and muscling through traffic before popping a perfect offload to Apisai Koroisau. Korisau didn’t flinch. Darting off the mark, he fended off a much larger Justin Hodges and swerved past the two defenders to slam the ball down next to the posts.

Not long after, the spotlight turned to a debutant. Adam Reynolds launched a pinpoint cross-field kick into the right corner, where Alex Johnston rose above his opposite winger, cradled the ball mid-air and somehow stayed inbounds. Twisting as he came down, AJ planted the ball inside the chalk for his first try in the top grade. It was the first of many tries to come.

Then came a moment that lives in Rabbitohs folklore. Off a loose chip kick, Inglis collected the ball just 10 metres from his own line and exploded into space. He beat four defenders in the opening seconds with raw footwork, accelerated into the backfield and burned past three more Broncos in a devastating 90-metre sprint. He finished it by diving into the corner and smiling straight into the broadcast camera.

Brisbane regrouped with three unanswered tries in a 15-minute surge, flipping the scoreline and going to the break ahead. They pushed further in front with another try early in the second half, leaving Souths chasing.

George Burgess brought the fight back with a solo effort through the middle. Collecting the ball with intent, he lowered his shoulder into the line, powered through two defenders and dragged a third over the stripe to close the gap.

With 10 minutes to play, Souths returned to the left edge. Sutton found Inglis out the back, who squared up his man and wrapped an offload around the corner. Kirisome Auva’a steamed onto it, crashing through a defender and grounding the ball to bring scores level at 26-all.

The Broncos had a late shot at a field goal, but Sam Burgess charged it down and recovered possession in a gutsy defensive effort. Souths marched upfield, and a penalty for a strip gave Reynolds a shot to win it. He calmly slotted the two and South Sydney walked off Suncorp Stadium winners.

Key Performers

Greg Inglis – one try, 221 run metres, two try assists, nine tackle breaks, 44 post contact metres
Adam Reynolds – eight points, one try assist, four tackle breaks, 21 tackles (none missed)
George Burgess – one try, four tackle breaks, 97 post contact metres, seven tackle breaks, 21 tackles (one missed)
Sam Burgess - 174 run metres, 71 post contact metres, two tackle breaks, 27 tackles (two missed)