The Roar

The glory years have been few and far in between for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but after producing their most commanding performance since re-entering the NRL in 2002, the lofty early season expectations cast upon the club now seem justified.

Coming off a solid away win against the Cronulla Sharks, the Rabbitohs would have been quietly confident of upsetting a Bulldogs team which, just eight days earlier, scored over 60 points to humiliate the previously undefeated Sydney Roosters.

It seemed Canterbury’s big names had finally awoken from their early season slumber, with key players Andrew Ryan, Ben Hannant, Michael Ennis, Jamal Idris and Josh Morris bringing in scintillating form to the table against the Bunnies on Easter Monday.

Indeed, the opening two minutes of last night’s contest suggested the Bulldogs would pick up from where they left off against the Roosters last Sunday, with five-eighth Ben Roberts opening the scoring.

The next 38 minutes of the first half however showcased all the reasons why many pundits had the Rabbitohs as one of the real premiership dark horses this season, playing at a level more reminiscent of their standing as the most successful Australian Rugby League club in history.

The multi-million dollar South Sydney forward pack is now beginning to pay real dividends, with captain Roy Asotasi and English sensation Sam Burgess playing their best games of the season to totally humble a Bulldogs pack which hardly raised a sweat last week.

Kevin Moore’s men were now the ones feeling the heat from a team which never seemed to take a backward step the moment Beau Champion scored the Rabbitohs opening try in just the forth minute to draw them level.

Kiwi hooker Issac Luke took advantage of the constant yardage gained from his forwards to rip a hole through the Bulldogs ruck defence in the opening forty minutes.

With Canterbury finding themselves constantly retreating, halves Chris Sandow and John Sutton produced arguably their most impressive showing as a halves combination for the Rabbitohs, with each player expertly dictating terms much to the delight of coach John Lang.

Their decision making skills against the Bulldogs proved decisive as Beau Champion, Nathan Merritt and Sam Burgess all crossed the white stripe thanks to the ball playing prowess of both Sutton and Sandow.

Holding a 20 point advantage at halftime, the Rabbitohs never presented the Bulldogs with any significant opportunities to fight back in the second half, in what was a great sign for a team that has often made a habit of losing concentration in key moments.

Coach Lang can now take solace in the fact the Rabbitohs have managed to finish very strongly and record comprehensive victories in their last two matches.

Indeed the final 38-16 scoreline against the Bulldogs could have been more emphatic for South Sydney if it were not for a ridiculous video refereeing decision which saw Canterbury utility Ben Barba awarded a try after an apparent Andrew Ryan knock on in the lead up.

Champion’s intercept try for the Rabbitohs in the 80th minute however provided the exclamation mark the home side thoroughly deserved, made possible by a performance which had premiership contender written all over it.

The true value of the Rabbitohs victory however will be felt in the next few weeks, when they face the Newcastle Knights, Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders – all of which are severely struggling for form.

If glory is to find its way back to Redfern, South Sydney must win their next three matches and really gather the momentum necessary to consolidate a place in the top eight, and reach the level required to beat their more fancied opponents.