Search

show me:

Souths the finals comeback kings again

3 minute read

South Sydney have become the first team in more than two decades to come back from 10 points down in two straight NRL finals.

Coach WAYNE BENNETT
Coach WAYNE BENNETT Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

South Sydney are officially the cockroaches of the 2020 NRL finals series.

The team that just can't be killed off, no matter how many times their opponents think they have them left for dead.

Last week, it was Newcastle who led 14-0 after 11 minutes. The Rabbitohs did not just come back over the top, they lapped them to win 46-20.

And on Saturday night against Parramatta it was a similar story.

Down 18-8 at the break, with the Eels playing on a wave of emotion, the Souths were unfazed. They finished 38-24 winners.

"The good thing about them, they don't know when they're beaten this mob," coach Wayne Bennett said.

"They just keep turning up.

"That spirit has always been there. They've got a pretty good attitude that way.

"But they've built on it through the season."

The last time a team came back from 10 behind in two successive finals games was Melbourne in 1999.

And they went on to win the competition.

Next week, though, Souths will meet their sternest test, facing a Penrith side that has not been beaten since June in a do-or-die battle to reach the grand final.

Souths will take some stopping. They have scored 144 points in the past three weeks with Cody Walker the form player of the competition.

There were however signs of nerves early on Saturday night.

In their first attacking raid a Walker ball went to ground as they looked to strike out of a centrefield scrum.

Ten minutes later, when George Jennings rushed up and forced a Walker error after he again created numbers on the right, there was cause for concern.

And when Clint Gutherson was suddenly the man with two tries and an assist in six minutes, it looked as if the Eels were going to steal the Rabbitohs' attacking thunder.

But when it mattered most, South Sydney still did South Sydney things.

Three of their five second-half tries started on or behind halfway, with their playmakers and outside backs again standing tall.

The unsung hero of the past month Adam Reynolds was again in everything, dummying his way down field before Cameron Murray crossed.

Jaxson Paulo latched onto an intercept for another from halfway, while the most memorable belonged to Bayley Sironen.

After Mitch Moses had a penalty shot from next to the posts to level the game at 20-20, the ball clanged into the left upright and Dane Gagai collected it.

He sprinted down field and while the Bunnies had to wait for the points, they came five plays later when Cook grubbered out of dummy-half.

That was all before Damien Cook picked up a loose ball and went 50 metres to score in the dying minutes, locking up a third straight preliminary finals appearance.

It also took their points-scoring tally for the past 11 weeks to 387 - by far and away the greatest scoring streak in the proud club's 112-year history."

Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au