If South Sydney’s thumping 39-0 win over St Helens is anything to go by, then the rest of the NRL have a difficult job ahead if they hope to knock the Bunnies off their perch.
The Rabbitohs thrashed last year’s Super League premiers by the record margin to cap off a dream five months for the club, which saw them win their 21st premiership overall but first in 43 years, the Auckland Nines, the Charity Shield, and now their first World Club Challenge on their debut appearance.
More than a decade removed from the initial tough and unsuccessful years that followed their return to the competition, the Bunnies, now well assembled and coached by Michael Maguire, are deserved world champions. They will be red-hot favourites to successfully defend their premiership title, which no team has been able to achieve in a unified competition since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992-93.
The Rabbitohs made their intentions clear when high-profile recruit Glenn Stewart scored on his very first touch as a Rabbitohs player, two minutes into the game. The addition of Stewart from the Manly Sea Eagles has paid off handsomely, even after only one match. It was his first competitive hit-out since April last year when an ankle injury ended his playing career at Brookvale Oval.
The contest, and any hope the Saints had of winning their first World Club Challenge since 2007, was all but over when the Rabbitohs led 24-0 at halftime.
The Saints had twice been on the wrong end of the previous record margin for the worst defeat in World Club Challenge history, losing by 38 points to the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters in 2000 and 2003 respectively. An Adam Reynolds field goal in the second half saw the Rabbitohs achieve the record-winning margin of 39.
Defending a premiership after winning it has proven very difficult to achieve over the last two decades. However, despite the loss of several key players since that October triumph last year, the Rabbitohs remain favourites to reign again in 2015.
The win by Michael Maguire’s men saw the National Rugby League sweep the World Club Series, after earlier wins for the St George Illawarra Dragons and Brisbane Broncos over the Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors, respectively.
The Dragons kicked off the new-look format by defeating the Warrington Wolves 18-12 on Saturday morning (AEST), temporarily dispelling pre-season expectations that the club, world champions in 2011 and NRL premiers in 2010, could contend for the wooden spoon this season.
The narrow victory comes on the back of an impressive showing in the Charity Shield, whereby they led the Rabbitohs 12-0 deep in the second half before eventually being pegged back to a 12-all draw.
They will now fancy their chances of beating the Melbourne Storm, who will be without their injured captain Cameron Smith, at Jubilee Oval in Round 1.
The second match saw the Brisbane Broncos edge out last year’s Super League runners-up, the Wigan Warriors, 14-12 in golden point. The match ended in controversy, as Wigan centre Anthony Gelling was sin-binned for illegally trying to save his team from defeat.
The six-time NRL premiers appeared set for a 12-6 victory until Wigan’s Joe Burgess scored close to full-time to force golden point extra time. Then, in the 90th minute, the Broncos won a penalty close to their tryline after Joel Tomkins was deemed to have illegally stripped the ball from Corey Parker.
Parker’s first penalty shot was smothered by Gelling, who was subsequently sin-binned for his antics. The Broncos goal-kicking machine then had a second shot, which was successful, thus winning the game for the club and sealing the World Club Series for Australia.
Of Gelling’s charge-down on Parker’s first penalty shot, Wigan coach Shaun Wane was able to see the funny side of it.
“He’s a weirdo, if one person was going to do that, it would be him. He does the weirdest things in training. But it showed to me that he wanted to win,” Wane said. In the end, however, Wane conceded that Wigan lost due to some poor decision making, especially in attack.
With the World Club Series now over, attention turns to the opening round of the NRL season, with the Broncos and Rabbitohs to do battle next Thursday night at Suncorp Stadium.
With both teams having played in the chill of north England, the sudden change in the weather conditions may prove crucial as to who takes out the season opener.
The bookies have the reigning premiers starting as slight favourites, at $1.85, ahead of the Broncos’ $1.95.
The Rabbitohs have won their last three meetings against the Broncos dating back to 2013; it’s their best winning run against the team they suffered a 17-year losing run against between 1989 and 2006.
A full preview of Round 1 will be provided next week.
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