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The Rabbitohs will crumble in the NRL finals

Adam Reynolds has been ruled out of State of Origin 3, but is expected to play for the Bunnies. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Roar Guru
28th August, 2015
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After a fairytale grand final and premiership last year that sent off Sam Burgess and Ben Teo in style, the Rabbitohs resemble but a shadow of their former selves in the run into September.

After a scintillating display in Townsville but a fortnight ago, they have been awful in their last two displays, looking flat, tired and disinterested at times. Conceeding 34.5 points on average over those last two weeks has shown that they lack what wins premierships – defence.

By the end of the round they could dip as low as seventh on the ladder. With one round to go, and looking long odds to beat the Roosters next Friday, they could finish the regular season as low as eighth if the Dragons win their last two matches.

In either case they will not get a second chance that comes with a top four berth. With this in mind I cannot see them progressing further than week one of the finals.

Starting so strong but so early in the season with a trip to the UK as well as the Nines after a gruelling 2014 campaign has caught up with the Rabbitohs. With Issac Luke likely to miss a fortnight, John Sutton’s season over and Greg Inglis hampered by his knee there are key players who are not going to be on deck or at 100 per cent at a time of the season when they need it most.

Of the sides likely to be in the eight at season’s end I cannot see the Rabbitohs beating many. They will not have a second chance and may be forced into a trip to Melboune if they are really unlucky.

If they are lucky they will be drawn with the Dragons who have looked lacklustre for most of the back-half of the season and that may get them a brief reprieve. But anybody else, even if Manly sneak in somehow, and they will crumble.

It has been a magnificent few seasons for the Rabbitohs. But they are demonstrating perfectly why it is so hard to win back-to-back premierships. It is a tough, physical and draining game that they play and you simply cannot be good all the time.

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After preliminary finals or better the last three seasons it is the Rabbitohs’ turn to sit it out this year.

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