South Sydney are about to enter a month-long stretch against the four teams at the top of the ladder which will determine whether they are indeed genuine title contenders of flat-track Bunnies.
With the competition’s top four teams – the Dolphins, Panthers, Broncos and Storm – looming on the horizon, it could be a season-defining month for Souths as they sit in 10th spot with a 3-3 record.
Since coach Wayne Bennett and captain Adam Reynolds propelled them to the 2021 Grand Final, the Bunnies have been dominant when they’ve taken on the also-rans but struggled to compete with the NRL’s elite sides.
Souths registered a not so nice 6-9 win-loss rate last year against the other nine teams who finished with a .500 record or better.
CLICK HERE for a seven-day free trial for your favourite sport on KAYO
They won eight of their nine classes with the bottom six teams who had losing records to qualify seventh and then upset the Roosters and Sharks before Penrith ended their late charge in the preliminary final.
Cody Walker celebrates with Latrell Mitchell, Keaon Koloamatangi and Lachlan Ilias. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
The Rabbitohs couldn’t have been more impressive to start off the season with a 27-18 win over the Sharks at Cronulla although the home side was missing its most influential player with Dally M Medal winner Nicho Hynes hobbled by a calf strain.
They then went down 16-10 to the Panthers at Penrith but the margin did not reflect the premiers’ dominance.
Souths then lost to the Roosters in a close one with another late consolation try making it seem closer than the 20-18 scoreline suggests.
They outlasted a Manly side with a golden point but the Sea Eagles’ early-season formline has fallen off a cliff with Newcastle putting 32 on them the following week and Penrith racking up 44 last Saturday.
A 50-16 thumping of Canterbury last Friday was a great confidence booster but they were up against a team lacking Viliame Kikau, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Tevita Pangai jnr and also lost Josh Addo-Carr early in the contest with a syndesmosis injury, forcing Jackson Topine to fill in at centre where he was badly exposed in defence.
It’s far from panic stations at Redfern but Thursday night’s Suncorp Stadium assignment against Bennett and his upstart Dolphins (4-2) is the first step in a crucial section of the draw leading into the State of Origin period.
The Bunnies trade on passion, whether it’s the history of the club and the fervour of their fans off the field or the emotion exhibited by their players when they step onto the arena.
When they take on the Roosters or have a finals match, that volatility can inspire them to great deeds, as shown in the past couple of playoff series.
But it can be a weakness – when their key players in Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell are flat, the whole team suffers.
If those two in particular – the team’s emotional barometers – get too amped up, they can be baited into ill-disciplined acts.
The level-headed determination of captain Cameron Murray and hooker Damien Cook often balances out the intensity that Walker and Mitchell bring to the contest but that emotion is a strength and a weakness.
To his credit, Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has done a fine job since stepping into Bennett’s shoes in harnessing the unique energy of the Rabbitohs.
He was statesmanlike recently when a young fan racially abused Mitchell with the way he spoke about how non-Indigenous Australians needed to be better in knowing not to cross the line between sledging and going over the top.
Compared to the likes of Ivan Henjak, Steve Price, Rick Stone and Anthony Seibold when they followed in Bennett’s footsteps, Demetriou’s success looks even better.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Mutual respect in coaching match-up
Thursday night’s clash with Bennett and the Dolphins is being predictably hyped up as a master versus apprentice coaching contest but Demetriou is his own man and the two competition points far outweighs the importance of a win over his mentor in their first head-to-head encounter.
“I’m not here without him, that’s for sure,” Demetriou said on Wednesday at his captain’s run media conference.
“The first conversation was [Bennett saying], ‘I like people who are self-made and you’re who I want to act and think as a head coach’. He’s been one of the best mentors I could hope for.”
“In the dark times, he stays composed. He trusts what his values are. I remember two 50-point losses in 2021 in the space of three or four weeks. We could have pushed a panic button, but we didn’t.
“He came in and made it fun and got the players excited to play again, and we went on the run to the grand final.
“He’s got an ability to make you feel good about yourself and that’s the art of coaching. It’s about your players having trust in themselves and you.
Jason Demetriou. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“Everybody talks about the younger generation but Wayne still manages to connect with the younger generation, he’s an icon of the game.”
Bennett was bitter at the Broncos when they appointed Seibold to replace him when he thought Demetriou as his assistant was a better option.
So when he was controversially sacked and started his three-year deal at Souths at the end of the 2018 season 12 months earlier than anticipated, he took Demetriou as well with the same idea for him to take over the reins.
“I took the idea (of a succession plan) with me, I realised I was running out of time coaching wise,” Bennett said.
“That was the plan we had for the Broncos but they didn’t want to buy into that.
“Jason could have been coaching the Broncos but it wasn’t what they wanted to do. Souths were keen to do something like that, so Jason came to Sydney.”
He is again grooming Tonga coach Kristian Woolf to do likewise at the Dolphins with Bennett set to finally bring down the curtain on his unprecedented coaching career at the end of next season and all signs now point to the Redcliffe expansion side being well set up for his predecessor.
The Dolphins are underdogs for this game, just like they were last week in Townsville when they beat the Cowboys. They have played with in a no-nonsense style that is a hallmark of Bennett teams.
You know what to expect from them in this one, whether the Bunnies run hot or cold will likely be the deciding factor.
steveng
Roar Rookie
The Bunnies might have played the top teams in the last 6 rounds but imo they are way behind them all. as how they played was very disappointing to me. Their intensity in 2023 is NOT there, slow starts with lazy attitudes are my optics, the game against the Panthers they only started playing in the 2nd half and against a depleted Storm side they never ever looked like winning with lazy efforts, no intensity as they were completely annulled and outplayed. If the Bunnies continue like they are, I don’t give them much of a chance especially against the Panthers as they never looked like winning games, if they put the effort in, they might look like winning against the likes of Sharks and Roosters, but against the Panthers, Storm and lets see even against the Dolphins or the Broncos they are sus? Its very disappointing to watch the Bunnies in 2023 half pie, dropping balls, no game plan and relying on C. Walker and Trell to get them out of a deficit score, when Ilias and Walker have NO kicking game up close and they rely on the same old Trell out wide and AJ to score, especially when they don’t have speed out wide and after 10min they start to bunch and you can throw a blanket allover them. What Bunnies fans want to see is plenty of mongrel and i100% intensity for 80min as that is how they will win games, not the way that they have been playing so far! Hope I’m wrong and “Go You Bunnies Glory Glory Always” :thumbup: :laughing:
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Bingo! Finally, something we can agree on mushi. Teams will always be at their best when they have the full squad available. When Souths get all their forwards back they will be a different side based the stability and platform that will provide. The same is true for all clubs. It is still too early in the season to write off teams plagued by injury and suspension.
Relaxed and Comfortable
Roar Rookie
It appears the idol has feet of clay.
Reggie13
Roar Rookie
The Bunnies have been missing up to six middle forwards throughout the early rounds, and going 3 and 3 has been good enough. As always they got bashed by the Panthers but other than that they were right in the contest for the other two losses. I think 2 and 2 for the next four will put them in a strong position for the run home. They could get hit hard in SOO selections with Keaon and Stretch making strong cases along with regulars Cookie, Cam and Arrow likely to be selected, so will need limited injuries during this period.
Megeng
Roar Rookie
What else are we going to read?
Albo
Roar Rookie
Yep ! They were pretty well flattered by the score line against the Panthers, but 3 from 6 in the tough section of their season draw is pretty good. I still rate them as likely top 4 finishers.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
From the outset Souths had always a very difficult first half of the season draw having to face Penrith (x2), Storm (x2), Broncos, Roosters and Sharks all before round 10. IMO the Bunnies have put in good (but not ideal) performances in all their games so far this year (despite being 3 from 6), keep in mind they have played top (and in form teams). I don't think there was much difference between the teams v Storm, Panthers and Roosters. There were periods in those games where you could feel the Bunnies started to click and get into gear. It's what you want to see in the early rounds. Those games could have gone either way (as could have the game v Manly). The home run looks far easier for Souths and they should bag enough points to get in top 4, playing Tigers(x2), Saints(x2), Knights, Titans, Cows, Warriors and Dogs.
Omnitrader
Roar Rookie
The biggest bearing on the game will be who takes the most advantage when a team inevitably has player sent for 10.
Nat
Roar Guru
I have the utmost respect for the ol' coach but it is quite arrogant to assume who, what and how things where going to play out at Brisbane. He didn't get what he wanted and became absolutely petulant. He had a contract there with an option but since the board didn't follow his plan to the letter he threw a bomb into the place. He was the one hiding in bathrooms and lying down in the back of cars away from the press. He was the one who wouldn't speak with the board. He was the one whinging about being sacked by phone message but wouldn't answer his phone. It is very presumptuous to think a club like Brisbane would take on the next coach based solely on his call.
Tetley
Roar Rookie
Agree with scribe. I thought the bunnies should have banked a win against the roosters. They were completely dominating them early and should have gone on with it. Souths need to start flexing their muscles against heavyweight teams and showing the comp they mean business. Very interested to see what transpires in their upcoming games against panthers and broncos