Brad Inger reviews the South Sydney Rabbitohs clash with the New Zealand Warriors. Here’s how the game went.

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MATCH TIMELINE

Minute Scoring Play Score
6th Try David Fusitu’a (Warriors) Warriors 4-0
9th Try Campbell Graham (Rabbitohs) 4 All
11th Goal Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 6-4
15th Goal Kodi Nikorima (Warriors) 6 All
22nd Sin-Bin Kodi Nikorima (Warriors)
24th Try Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 10-6
25th Goal Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 12-6
29th Try Braidon Burns (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 16-6
30th Goal Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 18-6
33rd Sin-Bin Cody Walker
39th Try Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 22-6
45th Try Cody Walker (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 26-6
46th Goal Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 28-6
50th Try Damien Cook (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 32-6
51st Goal Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 34-6
68th Try Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 38-6
69th Goal Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) Rabbitohs 40-6
75th Try Agnatius Paasi (Warriors) Rabbitohs 40-10
76th Goal Kodi Nikorima (Warriors) Rabbitohs 40-12

MATCH SUMMARY

1st half

Eager to continue their tryscoring form from last week the Warriors came out of the gates quick with a try to the returning David Fusitu’a which was unconverted by Kodi Nikorima. Campbell Graham responded quickly to level the scores until Adam Reynold’s goal gave the Rabbitohs a two-point lead. Some poor Rabbitohs discipline allowed the Warriors to tie the game up with a Nikorima penalty goal. It looked like the Warriors were about to cross the try line again, but Dane Gagai snatched an intercept and looked sure to run the length of the field but was chased down the Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Nikorima flopped on Gagai and was sent to the bin as a result. This swung the momentum in the Rabbitohs favour, and they scored back to back tries in quick succession through Adam Reynolds and Braidon Burns. The Warriors started to regain some possession, and the back of multiple six again calls, Cody Walker also found himself sent to the bin. The Warriors had plenty of opportunities to score but lacked the finesse to complete the plays, David Fusitu’s was the closest only to appear to have been hit high and losing the ball over the try-line. The Rabbitohs had the last laugh in the first half with Alex Johnstone scoring a try despite the home side being a man down to allow the Rabbitohs to go into the break with a 22-6 lead.

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2nd half

The Warriors night to forget continued as they knocked on with their first touch of the ball, a Rabbitohs knock on a few tackles later gave the New Zealand side a slight reprieve. Damien Cook started to dominate the ruck area, and he exposed the Warriors middle defence when he sent Walker over for a try in his 100th match. A Rabbitohs error on the return set gave the Warriors great field position but their bad night continued when Peta Hiku lost possession over the try-line. With the Warriors bench reduced to two men with Lachlan Burr and David Fusitu’a being ruled out of the match after failing their HIA’s, fatigue appeared to be setting in which allowed Cook to barge over to score, furthering South Sydney’s lead. The Warriors showed some fight once again but failed to convert their opportunities when Karl Lawton knocked the ball on over the try line. Both sides traded unforced errors and sets until Walker delivered a nice chip kick for Johnston to snap up for his second try of the match. After Reynolds knocked down a Nikorima pass, the Warriors successfully found the chalk when Agnatius Paasi barged over to score a consolation try as the Rabbitohs came away with a dominant 40-12 victory.

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GAME HIGHLIGHT

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Dane Gagai’s intercept was a turning point in this match, his act of desperation on defence and the resulting sin-binning of Nikorima swung momentum in the Rabbitohs favour and the Warriors never recovered. The game is so quick with the rule changes, and if a side can pile on the pressure, it is so hard for the opposition to get back into the game which we saw here tonight. Confidence will be high in the Rabbitohs camp, but the consistently inconsistent Warriors will have to go back to the drawing board before they face the Storm.

SQUADS

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell, 2. Dane Gagai, 3. Campbell Graham, 4. Braidon Burns, 5. Alex Johnston, 6. Cody Walker, 7. Adam Reynolds, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Damien Cook, 10. Thomas Burgess, 11. Jaydn Su’A, 12. Ethan Lowe, 13. Cameron Murray, 14. Liam Knight, 15. Patrick Mago, 16. Tom Amone, 17. Bayley Sironen

New Zealand Warriors: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 4. Gerard Beale, 2. Patrick Herbert, 3. Peta Hiku, 18. David Fusitu’a, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Blake Green, 8. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Lachlan Burr, 11. Eliesa Katoa, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Adam Blair, 14. Karl Lawton, 15. Poasa Faamausili, 17. Jack Murchie, 20. Agnatius Paasi

 

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Brad Inger
The host of The Stand-Off on New Zealand Sports Radio and freelance sports journalist. My site, Ingers League Wrap-Up, is full of NRL and Warriors posts.

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