2013. 2018 and 2019 for instance. 👍

This stuff with Reynolds… is torpedoing the Rabbitohs 2021 premiership hopes. Now imagine if Reynolds and Souths announced that Reynolds has just re-signed for another 2 more years? What a boost that would be. Souths CEO Blake Solly needs to be brought back in line by Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe. Why aren’t Rabbitohs members intervening like they did with AJ? Everyone is leaving it too late with Reynolds poised to sign elsewhere either in the next few days or a week or so.

At least Souths didn’t have any of their 21 premierships stripped for rorting the salary cap steveng. The Storm are still the proud holders of the most premierships to be stripped for playing outside the rules! 😂

“Mansour and Gagai normally defend that right edge”

Silly Shadow! You’ve been in the sun too long mate. Campbell Graham (also unavailable) and Josh Mansour defend Souths right edge while Gagai and Johnston defend Souths left edge. It has to be the PTSD, surely?

And losing Campbell Graham and Josh Mansour who defend the Rabbitohs right edge cost Souths BIG time! That is where the Bunnies leaked SIX tries to South Sydney junior, Josh Addo-Carr! Latrell Mitchell also would have been able to effectively cover and snuff out many of the Storms’ scoring opportunities.

“but now I can only see Penrith, Parramatta and Easts as legitimate challengers to the Storm going back to back.”

Whoa, hold on a minute, Tony! Playing just their first 30 mins of the 2021 season Souths were ambushed and blown away by the defending premiers 22-0 after a flow of possession from repeat sets of six and an increased dependence by the NRL on six again calls to speed up the game. Souths were slow to adjust to the new rules at first, but how did the following 50 mins play out mate? Souths won that period 18-4. The Bunnies finished with a wet sail scoring 3 tries to the Storm’s ZERO in that final 50 mins in round 1. The Storm could NOT score a single Try for the rest of the game and Souths fell just 8 points short in the end. If not for the slow start they would have won that game.

Since that first round loss Souths were undefeated over the following 7 rounds and sitting in 2nd and then 3rd position on the NRL ladder due to points differential. The stage was set for Souths to get revenge and prove why they were ahead of the Storm on the NRL ladder with only one loss to the Storm’s two. But having a third of Souths 30-man squad unavailable including 4 key players with Origin experience causing a string of enforced changes to the Rabbitohs starting side put an end to any hope of an even contest. I even tipped the Storm in light of that giving Souths no realistic chance of winning that game.

One loss though, even if it is two back-to-back losses to the Storm, does not erase the fact that, at full strength, the Rabbitohs are still one of the top 3 teams in the competition. A loss doesn’t change that, even a loss by 50 points. Not when Souths had 8 players out and not when it is only 9 rounds into the season and Souths have Latrell Mitchel, Adam Reynolds, Cameron Murray, Campbell Graham, Josh Mansour, Jaxson Paulo and young gun rookie Blake Taaffe set to return by Souths Bye round (round 13) in 4 weeks time. Reynolds may even be back next week while Latrell Mitchell and Josh Mansour are due back the week after.

It is way too early to be conducting an autopsy on the Bunnies 2021 season when there are still 16 rounds to go plus the finals. Everyone should just settle down and stop reading too much into one result in an early season game.

“That 50 points stat is just a number”

It is even more irrelevant when you consider that Souths had 8 players unavailable including 4 players with Origin experience. Although the Storm were never beaten by that scoreline did anyone write the Storm off in the past when they lost games during the Origin period with Smith, Slater, Inglis, Chambers, Hoffman etc. all missing? Did anyone write the Broncos off either when they lost games when their key players like Darren Lockyer were missing during Origin?

This is no different only it is injury and suspension instead of Origin, and it is only 9 rounds into the season. When Souths beat the Roosters late last year 60-8 and the same mantra about losing by 50 points was making the rounds THAT was in round 20 the last game just before the finals. The Roosters had all their rep players except for Brett Morris and were also missing just Victor Radley, Joey Manu, Lindsay Collins and Isaac Liu. Instead of collapsing in the face of that loss though they went on to lose by ONE POINT to Grand Finalists and minor premiers the Panthers and before losing by just 4 points to Preliminary Finalists the Raiders. So the Roosters were still highly competitive despite losing by 52 points just a few weeks before.

Like you say, it’s just a number… like 21 turning into 22 at the end of this season. 😁 👍

Just wait until Souths turn the Storm’s lights out at the end of this season Walter. He who laughs last laughs best remember that. It is going to be an all Sydney GF with the Rabbitohs beating the Panthers to win their 22nd premiership and the Melbourne Storm will be watching the game on TV just like you Walter. 😂

“The Rabbitohs were without superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray, Adam Reynolds and Campbell Graham, who really spark South Sydney’s attack but are also great defensive players.”

Souths were also without Josh Mansour and Mansour and Gagai normally defend that right edge for the Rabbitohs. When Souths were leaking points on their right edge defence a true “super coach” would have made an adjustment to plug that hole and throwing a back rower come centre (Jed Cartwright) at the problem, a player who had not played for most of the season, was NOT the answer!

From the beginning Souths should have had AJ at FB and Cody Walker back at 5/8 partnering Benji instead of throwing rookie Dean Hawkins in the deep end against the Storm. It is unfortunate that gun rookie Blake Taaffe was still unavailable due to injury and will not be available until rounds 10 or 11. I feel Taaffe would have fared far better than Hawkins and could have potentially had a Sam Walker-like impact on the game.

To add to Souths extended list of injuries and suspensions both Jaxson Paulo and experienced first-grader Tautau Moga were also unavailable. Not that I have much of a rap on either player. Dane’s brother, Jacob Gagai should have been brought in as Souths were short on outside backs. Not that I have a rap on him or that his form this year in Souths lower grades deserved a promotion, but when a side has 7 backline players unavailable then changes are inevitable.

As the Roosters proved, having key players out is no excuse for going belly up in defence. That said, and despite the Storm’s early season loss to the Eels, in round 9 the Storm are clearly one of the top 2 sides on form and the Eels, like Souths, are struggling to justify their place in the top 4.

bringing more franchises…

We can only be optimistic about the game’s future and keep things positive AJ when the game gets serious about consistency! Consistency with the action taken for HIA’s and enforcing this across the board for ALL clubs instead of allowing some clubs to take advantage of this if it suits the way the NRL want to market the game (i.e. to Sydney’s west and the Panthers and the Eels). Consistency in the referee’s interpretation of the rules, of the bunker’s understanding of the rules, of the MRC dealing with incidents each week making their gradings consistent and citing players irrespective of which jersey the player is wearing and if the judiciary follows suit and comes down hard on all foul and intentionally dangerous play without being influenced by the club the player represents.

That and when the NRL finally review the mess of Chinese whispers they call the NRL rule book whose original intent has been so twisted and misshapen over time that the current interpretation of many rules bear no relevance to the original purpose for which they were intended (i.e. tackling a player in the air, dragging a player into touch/the in-goal unless there is “momentum” in the tackle, the voluntary tackle, etc). And what about offensive as well as defensive penalties for “milking”? If the refs can see it why can’t they penalise it as contrary conduct?

But if you want me to finish on a positive note AJ, I am positive things won’t change and until they do how can we talk about bring more franchises and demographics into this mess? If this hybrid game of touch football and Rugby League keeps evolving at this rate it will become another code altogether and distinguishable from both Rugby Union and Rugby League.

“an Easts forward with his arm around the neck of a Parra player pulling him back by the throat”

If that was a send-off offence then the Storm would be playing without forwards and down to 8 vs 13 most games! Also, JWH would have spent a lot more time on the sidelines.

I agree that the stats only enhance the appreciation of the Roosters performance and not the Eels. But that isn’t all on Gutherson. Mitchell and Brown need to do more as well.

The NRL has to have oversight of this and if the clubs aren’t concerned they soon will be if they have competition points deducted. I’m tired of seeing Souths continually lose players, like many other clubs, while some clubs are given a free pass and an advantage. It needs to be fixed. No more talking. It’s time for action.

Not sure about the favouritism being unconscious Red Rob but some of the decisions in recent weeks both by the refs and by the bunker make me think that perhaps the officials are unconscious. For example, last night WHY did it take 20 mins to review the footage and inform Trent Robinson only just before the Roosters were about to run out for the second half that the two incidents were being put on report. Too late for Robinson to utilise the 18th man rule.

I’m going to keep stirring the pot Red Rob and see what comes out in the end. There’s more to add to the mix each week with each stuff up and reminder of how inconsistent the interpretations of the rules, the MRC and the judiciary are.

“I was watching in the ‘olde days’ of a play maker getting taken out and often nothing happening.”

Ah yes, the 1988 NSWRL Grand Final when Terry Lamb and Andrew Farrar intentionally took Ellery Hanley out with an illegal headshot that left Hanley heavily concussed and ruled him out of the game. That was akin to having Tedesco, Turbo or Latrell/Reynolds/Walker removed from the field in a GF and just as crucial to ensuring victory. Just a little walk down memory lane hey TB? 😛

Tell your Union loving mates they have nothing to gloat about when players who are lying undefended on the ground can be stomped on and trampled underfoot in a ruck. I have played both Rugby League and Rugby Union and only in the latter have I had my head stomped on repeatedly. On the positive side it got us a penalty that won us the game in a State knockout quarter-final, so win/win. Yes, Tony, DPS, BD and the rest that also explains a lot as well. 😂

Like you, I’m a Souths fan who also despises the Roosters… that’s it. I just thought I should mention it. Oh, yes and that was a disgraceful act last night that deserves a lengthy suspension. If Latrell Mitchell can get stitched up with a 4-week suspension for a “love tap” by comparison when he wasn’t even looking where contact was made then this should be 12 weeks by comparison!

That little story reminds me of the time that Cameron Smith used Issac Luke’s head as a piñata stomping on his head repeatedly because Luke failed to let go of his leg in a tackle. It looked like a game of paddle ball. In the end Issac Luke lay concussed on the ground, and what happened to Cam Smith? He got a penalty! Issac Luke was penalised for attacking Cam Smith’s boot with his head! 😂

“a Chooks team mate trying to help Hutchinson was some bizarre sort of primitive leg pumping action. Could have been really dangerous.”

Yes, I remember that, and you are right Forty Twenty. The best of intentions by JMoz but without medical training it was very inadvisable. It could have made the injury a lot worse or even contributed to the punctured lung. I remember Hutchison looked badly winded from the gasping expression and desperation on his face. We have all experienced it, as JMoz would have done. So it was an honest mistake and an understandable reflex reaction to assist a mate who was suffering.

The point is it should never have happened. It was totally unnecessary and totally avoidable. Dylan Brown has to get a lengthy suspension for this otherwise why have a judiciary and talk about concerns for player welfare if you aren’t going to follow through? How would everyone here have reacted if that had been Sam Burgess instead of Dylan Brown? Is it the personality or the offence that matters?

Which had no bearing on the play as the player was already in the act of scoring, the defender had arrived too late and from behind and only needed to stay out of it. Only bad things can come from such recklessness. Look at the friendly fire injury to Latrell Mitchell against the Eels last year when Jaxson Paulo plodded along long a draught horse and fell onto Dylan Brown, ironically enough, with no clear intent to harm, he was just clumsy and uncoordinated in his effort. Latrell ended up missing the rest of the 2020 season which in all probability (according to Jamie Soward) cost the Rabbitohs the premiership.

Do you like how I worked that in Tony? 😛

Clubs who fail to comply with this directive from the NRL should lose competition points. A simple fine won’t do it. THAT is the only language they understand or listen to. Remember Viliame Kikau getting dropped earlier this season after a knock to the jaw had his legs collapse from under him, and he was flat on his back for several seconds, yet he was cleared to return to play? Another decision that benefitted both the Panthers and the Eels. Coincidence?

“s it actually optional to have a clearly concussed player taken from the field for a HIA or doesn’t Bryce Cartwright’s health count?”
Or… as I suggested last night, the blatant favouritism to the Panthers and the Eels shown by the NRL and officials over this season just happens to favour the game’s fastest growing demographic with the game’s largest and most successful Rugby League nursery and would ensure a stadium packed to capacity for the GF especially if it is held at Bankwest stadium. Coincidence?

“how can an offence get any worse”

How about two players pinning one man’s arms to his side and then pile driving him head first into the turf? Is that worse? How long did they get again? How long was the injured player out of the game? Was that justice?

“That type of action is a send off and lengthy suspension in any other footy code in the world.”

Even in the NFL a player would have been ejected from the game for that. Had that come down on Hutchison’s spine we could have had another Alex McKinnon, and then we would be talking about a lifetime ban from the game for Dylan Brown. Does the NRL want to wait until something even more serious happens before it acts to stop this intentionally dangerous and wilfully reckless behaviour?