The South Sydney Rabbitohs have defeated the Brisbane Broncos 22 points to 12 to bag their third consecutive victory in what was an error-riddled contest, with the Broncos particularly struggling to hang onto the ball due to the wet weather.
Latrell Mitchell was superb once again for the Rabbitohs as he imposed his influence on the game. His torpedo bombs caused plenty of headaches for the Brisbane back three in the wet, while he also managed to score and set up a try.
It was a tight affair early, with both sides going set for set until Damien Cook broke the deadlock in the 12th minute of the match.
A probing run from Jack Wighton left the Brisbane defence in all sorts close to their line. The ensuing quick play-the-ball saw Cook presented with the perfect opportunity to sneak past the would-be markers and score.
Keaon Koloamatangi extended the Rabbitohs’ lead just five minutes later, reaching above his head to gather in a Cody Walker chip kick to crash over the line adjacent to the posts.
The Rabbitohs then went further ahead, this time through their main man Mitchell, who left Jock Madden and Kotoni Staggs in his wake as he barged over the line from close range.
South Sydney was unfortunately reduced to 12 men after a high tackle on Selwyn Cobbo saw Richie Kennar sent to the sin bin in the 30th minute.
The Broncos had many opportunities to get their first points of the match while boasting a numerical advantage over their opponents.
But Souths defended their line with vigour, repelling Brisbane on every occasion to maintain their 18-0 lead heading into half time.
Back to their full complement of 13 players, the Rabbitohs continued to dominate in the second half, scoring the first try of the stanza through Alex Johnston – the 191st of his career which saw him go past Billy Slater into outright second place on the all-time scorer’s list.
A high shot off the ball from Jordan Riki on returning Souths’ skipper Cameron Murray saw Riki sent to the sin bin, along with Mitchell for his part in the subsequent push-and-shove, reducing the contest to 12-on-12 for the next ten minutes.
Murray also left the field for a HIA as a result of the incident, however it was ruled to be category 3, and he was fortunately able to return to the field promptly.
The Broncos did manage to save face somewhat by jagging two consolation tries late in the game. It was speedy right-winger Deine Marriner who crossed both times, in the 66th and 77th minutes respectively.
However, it was never going to be enough to run down the Rabbitohs at that late stage of the game, with South Sydney finishing victorious over their opponents 22 points to 12.
Match Snapshot
-
Damien Cook scored the Rabbitohs’ first try in the 12th minute, scooting over from dummy half close to the line
-
Kean Koloamatangi pulled in a deft kick from Cody Walker to score South Sydney’s second try next to the posts in the 17th minute
-
Latrell Mitchell was next to score for Souths, proving to be too hard to stop from close range for the Brisbane defenders
-
Alex Johnston finished off a swift backline move to score South Sydney’s first try of the second half
-
Jordan Riki and Mitchell were both sent to the sin bin in the 56th minute, reducing the contest to 12-on-12 for ten minutes
-
The Broncos finally opened their account in the 66th minute through Deine Mariner, who scored with a diving effort in the right corner
-
Deine Mariner managed another consolation try in the 77th minute for a final score of 22-12
Play of the Game
Tonight’s play of the game was undoubtedly Alex Johnston’s try which saw him overtake Billy Slater to become the game’s second-greatest ever try-scorer. A big left shift from Souths saw Latrell Mitchell with ball in hand and the Brisbane defenders retreating. The big fullback summed it up perfectly with a gorgeous cut-out ball to serial try-scorer Johnston, who got outside his opposite Marriner and ran 15m to plant the ball down and finish off the historic try.
What’s Next?
The Rabbitohs will host the Manly Sea Eagles next Saturday night at Accor Stadium. Off the back of three straight wins, South Sydney will certainly fancy their chances, and will be eager to avenge their round 1 Las Vegas defeat at the hands of the Sea Eagles.
