SMITHY: Plenty of excitement in Souths' attack

The respected ex-coach Roy Masters made some serious comments on ABC Insiders about the style and quality of the Rabbits versus Roosters match, suggesting both coaches need to watch how other teams had gone about their attack and learn.

Masters labelled it “boring” and attributed the poor TV ratings for the match as at least partly the fault of the way they had played.

When I heard his comments, I felt the former Magpies and Dragons coach was well wide of the mark. I went to the game live and really enjoyed it. Furthermore, I was in awe of the ferocious running and hitting.

It was a really top-line match from that physical point of view and of course, as the score would suggest, the Rabbits finished on top in the tough stakes this time round too.

But way more importantly, Souths showed some real enterprise in their attack. Using footy smarts at times, it made a real difference when added to their usual blood-and-thunder attitude.

Remember those shifts from right to left that found holes around Mitchell Pearce, Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck?

Mostly done from in their own half or near halfway, Souths found Chris McQueen in holes, and space through what looked like a well planned and practiced strategy.

And what about the great play leading up to Ben Te’o’s incredible pressure catch-and-push-pass back inside to Greg Inglis on the burst to put him under the posts!

My favourite was the final try. So simple but so alert and aware of the mismatch, Isaac Luke switched from a likely open-sided dummyhalf pass to Adam Reynolds, to a sharp one direct to Inglis on the short side to get at James Maloney.

From point blank range it was over before any Rooster teammates could help him.

In the past, the Rabbits have missed too many of these opportunities to go through the open window rather than smash down the brick wall.

Meanwhile, I would have to agree with Masters that the Roosters, with all those attacking individuals, were disappointing in attack. You could have won a fortune if you had backed the Premiers not to crack double figures.

I put some of this down to the Roosters’ over-reliance on outmuscling their opponents as they did so often in 2103. It’s hard to argue when they win so often, but it’s also leaving themselves open to a never-ending list of 2014 opponents who will be physically pumped like those rampaging Rabbits.

In the Rabbits’ case, they are better equipped physically than most if not all other teams, but they still brought a little bit of footy to the game to blow that scoreboard out their way!

They deserved to win for that reason alone. That and the ferocious defence.

Maybe I was a bit too soft on the Roosters, thinking their attack was shut down by the absolute quality and total commitment of Souths’ D.

Do you think coaches Trent Robinson and Michael Maguire could improve by watching Manly and others? I am not sure who Masters thought were the ones to learn from.

The Eagles were red hot in the first half, especially in skilful shifts via Brett Stewart supplying money balls all over the place.

Stewart’s was the best performance of the entire eight matches – and that was in just 40 minutes – although Greg Inglis and Isaac Luke also were outstanding.

However, of the weekend’s winners, I was happiest for the Eels players, coaches, staff and fans. That was such a spirited performance by all 17 guys. Congrats to coach Brad Arthur in generating a confident, fit and well-drilled team for game one.

Everyone will recognise it was a great start, and while that’s way better than the opposite, it’s only great if they continue to apply themselves for next week’s big clash versus Roosters away, and all of the season’s remaining 22 matches.

It’s too soon to start promoting ‘Eels for the eight’ and all that hype – it will be months before that could happen.

Sadly, it won’t be that long for the Warriors to face dim, dark days if they don’t break the early cycle they began in 2013. Was it two from their first 10?

I didn’t like the signs for Shaun Johnson or Sam Tomkins, shut down by the Eels’ new, improved defence. Neither seemed to know how to compose their teammates after one passage of fightback.

Can the Eels sustain this enthusiastic start? Doubt still exists in my mind, as it does about a Warriors revival.

Which other teams excited you in Round 1 by the style they played? Or did you rate the Thursday night game a beauty in attack (mainly Souths) and defence like I did?