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