Shannon Meyer reviews a very entertaining 2021 Grand Final replay on Thursday night won by the Panthers who secured the 2022 Minor Premiership.
MATCHDAY RESULTS
SCOREBOARD
South Sydney Rabbitohs 22
Tries: Alex Johnston (17, 69), Cody Walker (35), Campbell Graham (61)
Goals: Latrell Mitchell 3 (36, 38 – pen, 70)
Penrith Panthers 26
Tries: Stephen Crichton (3), Dylan Edwards (27), Spencer Leniu (53), Liam Martin (78)
Goals: Stephen Crichton 5 (6, 30, 50 pen, 55, 76 – pen)
MATCH REPORT
Embed from Getty ImagesPenrith got back to their winning ways on Thursday night and dented the top four hopes of South Sydney with a 26-22 win at the Olympic Stadium, as the Rabbitohs’ winless Thursday nights continued in 2022. The win also sealed the minor premiership for Penrith – their second in three seasons.
After a strong start to the game the Panthers got on the board early, and it was a cruel reminder for Souths fans after last year’s grand final loss. It was Stephen Crichton who pulled off another intercept, well it was really a scooped-up a loose pass inside his own half, and he sprinted untouched to score under the posts. Penrith led 6-0 early and looked sharp.
Despite being under pressure Souths were adventurous, especially a cross-field kick from Lachlan Ilias deep in his own half on the third tackle, in a play that almost came off. Alex Johnston and Jaxson Paulo also had chances to score. After 15 minutes the line breaks were 3-0 to Souths.
Johnston continued his try scoring ways just before the 20th minute, scoring in the corner with the play set up by Cody Walker and final pass thrown by Isaiah Tass. Johnston had also made a break earlier in the set. It was Johnston’s seventh game in a row where he had scored. The missed conversion kept South Sydney behind 6-4.
Penrith extended their lead in the 28th minute when Sean O’Sullivan set up Dylan Edwards on the first play from a centre field scrum after a Latrell Mitchell error 40 metres from the Souths line. Edwards split Souths’ right-side defence with ease and the equally easy conversion made the score 12-4.
Cody Walker reduced the gap to Penrith with a fine solo run, similarly reminiscent of last year’s grand final, but not quite as good. His 30-metre run came after a great Mitchell offload: Mitchell also kicked the goal for a 12-10 score. This was after both teams blew golden chances for a try.
The Rabbitohs earned another two points just before half-time through a penalty goal to level the score going into the break at 12-12. Despite the low scores, it was an entertaining first half.
After a frenetic start to the second half – both sides could and should have scored with the first seven minutes – coincidentally it was the same two players who could and should have scored in the first half – Paulo and Liam Martin. Penrith eventually opened the second half scoring through a penalty to re-take the lead 14-12 (coincidentally last year’s grand final score), but with the pace this game was being played at it wouldn’t stay at that.
And it didn’t: minutes later Penrith’s Spencer Leniu scored under the posts after a perfectly weighted grubber kick from dummy half by Api Koroisau. The easy conversion was taken and the Panthers led by eight points.
South Sydney reduced the gap again with just under 20 minutes to go, when Campbell Graham scored on his return from injury in the corner after quick hands from the Rabbitohs to the right after being gifted a Six Again. Mitchell’s unhappy form with sideline conversions continued and the score remained 20-16.
The Rabbitohs scored again with around 10 minutes to go and it was try scoring machine Johnston who secured yet another double. Again Walker was involved with a fine try assist, but it was Johnston who made the most of a half chance to score. Mitchell picked a great time to find his sideline kicking boots, nailing the conversion which gave Souths the lead for the first time of the night.
The game was heading for Golden Point when the Panthers got a slightly fortuitous penalty close to the posts to make the score 22-22 with four minutes to go.
But Golden Point was not needed as the Panthers ran the ball down the short side despite looking to set up for a field goal, and Martin scored on his third trip over the try line for the evening. The Panthers had received some luck after Paulo spilled a last tackle bomb from O’Sullivan to give them a fresh set close to the line.
Crichton missed the two-point opportunity which left the door open for the Rabbitohs. But in an anti-climax the Rabbitohs’ short kick off didn’t go 10 metres, which allowed the Panthers a chance to run down the clock and soak up a hard-fought win and another minor premiership.
Hopefully these teams can meet again in the finals, as it was a highly entertaining affair which either side would have been a deserved winner.
It was a good bounce back from Penrith after being held to nil at home last weekend, and there’s positives for the Rabbitohs too, who held their own against the competition’s benchmark of the last three seasons, not long after breaking their Melbourne hoodoo. But South Sydney will have to work hard to make another grand final as they look set to finish outside the top four.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 pts – Sean O’Sullivan (Panthers), 2 pts – Liam Martin (Panthers), 1 pt – Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs)
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