Round Rewind: Souths Fire Early and Hold Strong to Down the Broncos
Before our next battle with Brisbane, we look back to round 15 of the 2024 season, where the Rabbitohs combined early firepower with gritty defence to overcome the Broncos 22-12 at Accor Stadium.
The Match
The crowd barely had time to settle before South Sydney struck the opening blow. Jack Wighton set the tone with a surging carry, punching into the Broncos' defensive line and bending it back. His aggression created momentum, and from the quick play-the-ball, Damien Cook was already in motion. Darting out of dummy half, he caught the Brisbane markers napping and sliced straight through the middle to score the opening points.
The Rabbitohs weren’t done. Just five minutes later, Cody Walker spotted space out wide, launching a looping cross-field kick to the left edge. Keaon Koloamatangi timed his run to perfection, leaping above the pack and snatching the ball out of the air with both hands. He grounded it cleanly and Souths gained momentum.
Then came a surge of brilliance from Latrell Mitchell. Receiving the ball on the line with momentum behind him, he took on Kotoni Staggs, shrugged off the low tackle, and still had the balance to plant a powerful fend into Jock Madden. He stormed over in one motion to score a powerful try.
With Richard Kennar sent to the sin bin late in the half, the Rabbitohs defended the final ten minutes a man down. Brisbane pushed hard, but Souths held firm to lead 16-0 at the break.
The second half kicked off with more red and green rhythm. Just four minutes in, a smooth left-edge shift opened up space again. Latrell received the ball with time, assessed the defence, and fired a crisp cutout pass to Alex Johnston. Johnston burned his opposite number and finished in the corner, pushing the lead out to 20.
Then, the game erupted. A late shot on Cameron Murray sparked a fiery confrontation, with Latrell Mitchell jumping in to defend his skipper. Emotions boiled over and after a review, both Latrell and Jordan Riki were sent to the sin bin.
Brisbane scored twice in the second half, but the Rabbitohs stayed composed and did enough defensively to close out a 22-12 win.
Key Performers
Latrell Mitchell – one try, ten points, 176 run metres, one try assist, 60 post contact metres, five tackle breaks
Alex Johnston – one try, 116 run metres, 40 post contact metres
Damien Cook – one try, one try assist, 41 tackles (one missed)
Keaon Koloamatangi – one try, 200 run metres, 95 post contact metres
