The Battle of Belmore in 1986
Round 21 of the 1986 season delivered one of the most intense and emotional clashes in the long rivalry between South Sydney and Canterbury-Bankstown. The Bulldogs were the reigning premiers. The Rabbitohs, under first-year coach George Piggins, were emerging as genuine contenders. What followed at Belmore Sports Ground became part of Club folklore.
Souths had been hammered by Canterbury-Bankstown earlier that year, a 26-2 ANZAC Day loss. But by July, the Rabbitohs had rebuilt their confidence, sitting near the top of the table and ready to square the ledger.
Belmore, freezing and heaving with anticipation, erupted from the opening set. A wild brawl broke out almost instantly. Captain Mario Fenech, playing with the emotion that defined him, tore off his jersey mid-fight because it was hampering his punches. Moments later he found himself in the sin bin, the first of two trips before halftime. Under the lights, bare-chested and steaming in the cold, Fenech became the image of a Club refusing to take a backward step.
While chaos threatened to take over, one man kept his composure. In his only season at Souths, Phil Gould delivered a masterclass in control and creativity. He had a hand in all three Rabbitohs tries and guided the side to a superb 17 to 8 victory. It was a night that convinced the faithful that South Sydney’s premiership hopes were real.
The match report in Big League captured the scale of the performance. Souths’ forwards matched Canterbury-Bankstown strike for strike, with Lindsay Johnston, Les Davidson and Les Biles producing enormous efforts. Half Craig Coleman steered the side smartly, while Gould’s influence proved decisive. Canterbury-Bankstown fought to the end, but six missed shots at goal proved costly.
The win secured a semi-final berth and shifted the perception of the Rabbitohs across the League. No longer outsiders, they were a force again, built on toughness, belief and a pack unwilling to give an inch.
