The Serve

Souths still in the hunt

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Dan Ginnane:

Neither team finals material

It was typically ugly but with perhaps it was that now famous love amongst the team that kept the Rabbitohs in the race for the NRL finals.

The Bunnies opened the scoring when a Jamie Soward grubber in the third minute ricocheted off Jeremy Smith, with the Souths half swooping on the loose ball and running the length of the field. The next try also came off a kick, this time from returning Souths five-eighth Joe Williams, whose pinpoint chip for Paul Mellor was timed to perfection, allowing the Rabbitohs winger to leap over Tom Hewitt.

A horrendous handling error from Luke Stuart led to the Dragons opening try, finished by Hewitt. Hewitt went over again four minutes later, however Soward missed both conversion attempts, leaving Souths with a slender 10-8 half time lead, despite the Dragons domination.

The home side continued to pour on the pressure early in the second half, with no reward, until the 52nd minute. Rangi Chase grubbered for himself, before beating a lazy Ben Rogers to the in-goal. Chase appeared to knock on, but video referee Phil Cooley gave the Dragons the benefit of the doubt.

With the Dragons seemingly unstoppable, Smith again turned the tide, this time with an intercept, leading to Soward being sent to the sin bin for a professional foul. From the next set, Paul Mellor outstretched his left hand to pluck a grubber from Smith to cross in the sixty-fourth minute. The extra man also led to Buddy Gordon crashing over with eight minutes remaining, with the sideline conversion from Williams signaling the end of the Dragons season. A further penalty goal extended the final margin.

Souths equal Brisbane, the Bulldogs and the Wests Tigers on the NRL ladder, with the Tigers just 14 points ahead of the Bunnies on for and against. The Dragons slim chances are officially over.

“Very disappointing. I don’t think I’ve been in this position before”, said Dragons prop Jason Ryles.