Courier Mail

By David Riccio | August 08, 2009 07:30pm

PhotosportRoy Asotasi

Forced to deliver one of the toughest post-match speeches of his career, Souths coach Jason Taylor asked his excited players for a moment of silence.

He knew the news he was about to deliver could have a huge effect on their finals charge. But several players they will make the finals for their skipper.

Despite the big Kiwi sitting in the corner with ice pressed to his knee, his Rabbitohs team-mates had no idea what was coming moments after they beat the premiers and recorded their first win at Brookvale Oval in five years.

"You don't get much time to think about those sort of things,'' Taylor said. "The boys came into the room very happy about what had happened and they saw Roy there - but a lot of blokes sit there with ice on their knee after the game.

"But that was the first thing I said because I didn't think we could go any further without anybody knowing. He's our captain, he's such an integral part of what we're doing and his performance in the first half tonight was what got us to victory. Then to have that happen, it really is upsetting.''

As a disappointing Manly outfit lamented their lack of cohesion and ill-discipline, the Rabbitohs declared they would continue their march towards September in tribute to their mate, hero and captain. In contrast, Manly's top-four hopes have all but evaporated after their second loss in five days.

"We've got to look at the bright side and think that we have to play the rest of the season for him and that he's going to be hurting on the sidelines,'' Souths forward Michael Crocker said.

Under-rated prop Scott Geddes, who Asotasi nominated as his obvious replacement, added: "He's our leader, he's our inspiration and he keeps us going forward. Somebody has got to step up and fill that role. I think I can do that.''

Asotasi was still shellschoked after the match, having buckled in a hit-up with 15 minutes to go to leave his season in ruins. "The doc said it's a six-month injury, so all that [finals footy and end-of-season Four-Nations tour] has evaporated,'' Asotasi said.

"From the moment I took that run, I went into the tackle and I knew it felt a bit different. I felt my knee go outwards, it didn't feel right.''

It's been a horror 12 months for the New Zealand Test prop, who battled hard this year to come back from major surgery on his pectoral muscle last year. "I'm not having luck in the last two years, so I guess I'm just going to start all over again,'' Asotasi said.

"The only good news is that I'll be all right next year. The disappointment is I won't be with the boys for their march towards the finals.''

Asotasi remains adamant the Rabbitohs could still go on without him, and you wouldn't discount that after they stormed back from an early 12-0 deficit to comprehensively beat the premiers. "It's a team sport, I don't think one player makes a difference,'' Asotasi said.

Coming back from an early deficit, the Rabbitohs showed courage to overcome a Sea Eagles side struggling for form and confidence. The Rabbitohs piled on six tries, with Nathan Merritt and Beau Champion grabbing doubles, in an exciting performance.

The win edged Souths to be within a point of the top eight while Manly could fall out of the eight by the end of the weekend if the Wests Tigers and Newcastle Knights both win today. "It will be very hard,'' Manly captain Matt Orford said of the club's top-four hopes.