It was a match that will live long in the history of rugby league as one of the more bizarre games but also one of the most intense.
Seven sin-binnings, three players ruled out due to failed HIAs, winger Daniel Tupou aggravating his groin injury, Latrell Mitchell getting a warm reception post-game after being booed relentlessly the week before, this one had it all.
The main drama among the many incidents will be the controversial decision to not send Souths prop Tom Burgess to the sin bin for his high tackle on Roosters skipper James Tedesco in the 18th minute which ruled him out of the game.
Burgess was marched a couple of minutes later for another hit on Matt Lodge, one of seven times referee Ashley Klein pointed a player to the sheds for a 10-minute breather.
“From the opening whistle it was just absolute chaos.” Michael Ennis said on Fox League. “They (Souths) were up and in the face of the Roosters. It felt like they owned the big moments.
“You just couldn’t take your eyes off the game, we don’t get games like this too often. It was an absolute beauty, a throwback, an absolute ripper.”
Fellow Fox League analyst Braith Anasta was critical of the decision to put Victor Radley in the sin bin early.
“They set the precedent so early in this game with that love tap from Radley that every other player that made contact with the head, like Magic Round (last year when there was an infamous crackdown), it turned into see ya later straight away.”
Cooper Cronk added: “That’s one of the craziest games I’ve seen in a long time.
“I have to take my hat off to South Sydney. They played 20 minutes with 11 players and the Roosters didn’t score a point. They deserve that victory, one, based on the physicality and commitment they delivered but, two, the ability to defend under immense pressure.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“The issue with this one is that Burgess wasn’t sin-binned, Tedesco doesn’t come back and then the carnage happens and the Roosters can’t activate their reserve player,” he added in reference to the Burgess hit.
Trent Robinson did not want to criticise the match officials for not taking sterner action on the Tedesco incident.
“Where do I start? It was chaotic, it descended into a a non-rugby league game in the end. It got to the point where it was so stop start, not what we really want to see in our game and then there was footy periods and who was going to execute their opportunities and they did that better than us.
“I think as a spectacle it would’ve been interesting and different, and then the footy moments were won by Souths.”
On the Tedesco incident he said he wasn’t sure whether he failed the HIA or not but was just told that he wasn’t going to come back.
“That’s a critical moment but our team has to adapt to that. If we’re going to rely on one guy we’re not going to be the team we want to be.
“I thought they (the match officials) handled the game really well, I thought we descended the game as in both teams. I feel like we forced their hand and they played what was in front of them.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
“You want them to calm down. The game was on the line at 24-14, there was 20 minutes to go, there was so much time. That was the time for us to execute, to get back in tune with how we wanted to play but we didn’t and we missed those opportunities and they took it to 30-14 and the game was over.
“I didn’t expect that (Tupou injury) to happen otherwise I wouldn’t have played him. That was an error on our part.”
Roosters veteran Luke Keary: “We both took it to a place it probably shouldn’t have gone but we didn’t handle it well.
“Cody and Latrell executed on that left-hand side and that was probably the difference in the end.”
Souths coach Jason Demetriou: : “We came up with some pretty big try-saver tackles which were pretty special.
“Over the (past) 10 weeks we’ve been up there with the best team in the comp defensively and that’s why we came here today confident. If we can keep teams to under 14 points we’ll back ourselves to win most games.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, it was brutal. I was really proud of the way we fought hard, down to 11 men twice, we didn’t concede a point in that 20-minute period – that was the big difference and some absolute skill and class from Cody Walker.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“It was unbelievable when they went a man down I thought we’re on here and then we conceded two tries.
“I’m really proud of them, this game brings a lot of emotion. It’s a really intense week, we prepped well, training was as good as it could be and I’m just really happy we got the job done.
“Latrell is just one of those players that people come to watch. You’re on the edge of your seat every time he touches the ball, he’s an outstanding human, I’m really happy he got that reception and I’m sure a lot of the Roosters fans applauded him as well.”
Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray: “That’s what finals footy is, emotions are high. Everyone’s trying to do their best for the team and sometimes it’s spills over. I thought we were down and out there a few times.
Latrell Mitchell appreciated getting a warm reception post-game a week after being booed relentlessly by Roosters fans.
“It’s an emotional one. I spent a few years with situations that went on but I worked really hard on myself to get myself to this moment. I’m really grateful for what’s happened and what’s about to happen, and thankful for the crowd staying back and doing what they’re doing.
“The hurdles I’ve had to jump, the resilience I’ve had to go through. I’ve been bashed down 10 times and I’ve got up 11. It’s all worth it when you’ve got the support and I know it’s there, it outweighs the bad. I’m very grateful.
“The emotion of that game was through the roof. Last week it started for the first 20 and this week it was the whole 80. Two proud clubs, you’re going to get those moments and it’s just about how you control it and lucky there was no serious injuries.
Rookie halfback Lachlan Ilias said “we played with 11 or 12 men for pretty much half the game”.
“It was pretty hectic. Never giving up – we let in a couple of tries early on and I think with our resilience, we bounced back from that really well.”
Player of the match Cody Walker found it hard to explain the bizarre scenes.
“Because the emotion was so high, the head highs and everything like that, you had to stay in check as much as possible.
“We played some of our best footy when we were down to 11.”
Dave
Roar Rookie
How many cheekbones has Roosters players broken, how many jaws have Roosters players broken, how many flying elbows to players heads on the ground has Roosters players thrown, how many Roosters have thrown knees into the backs of players who have scored a try and punctured lungs? The answer is none. They are the degusting things players from other teams are doing.
Rob
Guest
Was it a game of Rugby league or a license for thuggish behaviour? Trent Robinson didn’t say much because he’s been endorsing this behaviour for a very long time. The Roosters have been getting away with illegal play for years IMO. It was disgraceful and embarrassing for the game to be honest. JWH, Radley, and co should have been pulled up long ago if Robinson was actually coaching within the rules? When you see Suallii and Topou raising knees into contact regularly along with JWH elbows you know it’s not an accident.
Relaxed and Comfortable
Guest
Decidedly uncomfortable with the commentary too. ‘Brutality’ is not one of the words I want to hear describing RL - it should be skill, technique, brilliant playmaking and sportsmanship.
KB
Guest
If Burgess gets to play next weekend the playmakers for Cronulla, like Hynes and Moylan, need to keep an eye out for cheap head shots.
Dave
Roar Rookie
There is no doubt Burgess should have been sent off - and the failure to do so caused the game to go feral. Remember, Klein is the exact same referee from the Roosters v Rabbitohs match last year when Latrell Mitchell caved in Manu's face and Klein didn't even think it was a penalty and was laughing it off. It was idiotic from the NRL to pick Klein as the referee again after last years refereeing debacle, and Klein just repeated his disgraceful decision making and caused the match to go out of control.
Dave
Roar Rookie
While I agree with your assessment on head slams, I also agree that the JWH tackle was not really a head slam, or not really at all. The players head hit the ground pretty hard but it was because he landed on his back and JWH landed on top of him. JWH didn't actually slam his head into the ground. I'm sure many will scream 'JWH did a head slam' but actually looking at the actual incident, he really didn't at all - and he didn't target the head, he made no contact with the head at all.
Adam
Roar Guru
Hip drops for some reason seem to have a almost universal acceptance that they'll receive a pretty full on punishment and it's not particularly controversial. But for some reason head contact is just treated with so much ambivalence, it's strange
Gauss
Roar Rookie
Agree. That was sickening to hear.
TA
Guest
I`d like to see if there was a lightweight helmet solution that provided some protection, but if not then Yes like the NFL. It`s headed there anyway, so is the officiating, stoppages the lot, betting agencies alone will take the game there eventually.
Rob
Guest
Totally agree. No place in the game for a head slam. A base of skull fracture result in vegetation type hospital outcomes. Needless and senseless. Far to many players are let off doing it with the action being totally premeditated and usually the victim has no capacity to escape. JWH’s wasn’t your classic slam tackle but he targeted an opponents head and his intent was to to do damage by forceful hitting an opponents head on the ground? If you’re giving hip drops 2-4 weeks you should be giving head slams 6-12 weeks.
Dutski
Roar Guru
It was an ugly spectacle but hats off to the Bunnies who live to fight another day. I reckon out of all the tackles the one by Milne on Suaalii stood out for me. Milne jumps into the tackle with a swinging arm that hits high. Both feet off the ground at the point of contact. That is beyond careless and if it wasn’t at the end of 5 minutes of mayhem we could have been sent for good. I’ll be interested to see how that plays out on the rap sheet. Agree also about the commentators revelling in this stuff. Nope. Not on.
Simon G
Roar Rookie
You mean like the NFL where there are no concussions because they wear helmets? Like the NFL, a helmet would give the player a sense of invincibility, which in turn leads to more concussions. Not to mention the extra padding everyone would need to protect themselves from getting hit by a helmet... Helmets are definitely not the answer...
rl
Guest
The problem is that the NRL has endorsed this sort of grubbiness by not sanctioning NAS for his continued use of head slams and forearm drops. I'm no fan of the Bunnies or the Roosters, but Tedesco being taken out early was incredibly costly, and I still cannot believe Burgo got no on field punishment. Little wonder the ref lost control of things after that.
rl
Guest
Agree, particularly Anasta. He is a complete joke.
RLFan
Roar Rookie
When JWH was standing over Cameron Murray while he was in trouble on the ground and the Channel 9 commentator was admiringly calling it the old lion standing over its prey. They need to wake up to themselves and stop lauding what most of us call dirty acts.
Andy F
Roar Rookie
100% correct
Adam
Roar Guru
That's surely not the spectacle of the game that the NRL wants to advertise, is it? It was an absolute bucket of slop On top of that how were both Radley and Murray playing?
Adam
Roar Guru
If that's not the threshold for a send off what is? A deliberate head slam should be a send off no mater what. The messaging from that is, head slams are in the same basket as a little rabbit punch or a push and shove. That's why these games get out of control
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Add to that the way he carried on about actions of opposition players, I think he lacks any capacity for honest reflection. Some types of dogs have no place in society.
chris
Guest
Listening to the pre-game on Fox you would have thought that Souths were only there to make up the numbers. Anasta and Cronk were so biased it was ridiculous. And then the Roosters thought they could intimidate Souths and it didn't work out so well for them. The bunnies too good in an absorbing match.