The fitness of South Sydney players was brought into question as one disastrous moment summed up the struggling NRL club's woes.
The Rabbitohs were trailing Penrith 24-12 and the game was very much in the balance with 18 minutes still to play on Thursday night.
The Bunnies went on the attack and it was only an unlucky bounce that saw a Cody Walker chip kick dribble over the dead-ball line.
READ MORE: Souths skipper's blunt response to Bennett noise
READ MORE: 'Body was never so sore': Xerri's warning to NRL
READ MORE: 'Strong message' as star banned for match fixing
The concerning aspect was no Rabbitohs players had chased the kick, and so Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards was able to usher it across the line without a worry.
Edwards then expertly picked the dead ball up and raced to take the 20-metre tap – while tired South Sydney players floundered and failed to make an effort to get back into a defensive line.
Noticing the lethargy from the opposition, Panthers winger Taylan May raced up and took the pass off Edwards before racing away to score the easiest of tries, albeit a length-of-the-field job.
The sole Bunnies player in cooee of May was forward Jai Arrow – none of his teammates saw the need to chase.
It was the second of a four-try Penrith blitz that secured a 42-12 victory, and consigned the sorry Rabbitohs to last place and a 1-7 start to the season.
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
It came two days after head coach Jason Demetriou was sacked.
"We all know that they've had a tumultuous couple of days, the Rabbitohs," NRL legend Cameron Smith said on Nine's coverage after the May try.
"But you see there, where Dylan Edwards picks the ball up – he is 15 metres away from the nearest Rabbitohs player.
"He just picks it up and he runs past every player in a Rabbitohs jersey, because he wants to make a difference for his team.
"They had an opportunity there, the Rabbitohs, to turn and get back on side, but Dylan Edwards just wanted to work harder."
South Sydney's 1-7 record is the club's worst start to a season since 2008, and their equal fourth worst start in the club's century-long history.
Only two teams have endured a 1-7 start and gone on to play finals that year – the Broncos in 1999 and the Dragons in 2002.
The non-effort to prevent the May try captured the attitude among the playing group.
"There were a few good examples of fitness in this play," Brad Fittler noted.
"These blokes (Panthers) were fit enough to show some speed at this time of game, they've just defended a set of six. But also the fitness to be able to think – Taylan May, as soon as he saw Dylan Edwards go for that ball he pushed up to be in position.
"There was some space on the edge of the South Sydney ruck. They didn't have the fitness or the ability to think at this time of game."
The shocking moment for South Sydney could not have come at a worse time.
A couple of the club's powerbrokers are in England securing the signature of gun Super League halfback Lewis Dodd, while the Bunnies are also trying to convince supercoach Wayne Bennett to return to the Burrow.
Andrew Johns suggested on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth this week Bennett won't be interested in a rebuild – he wants to win a premiership in the next couple of years before retiring.
But looking at Thursday night's efforts, the Rabbitohs roster may need a serious cleanout.
"I'd like a penny for Wayne's thoughts after seeing tonight," Johns mused on Nine's Thursday coverage.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.