After breaking bubble protocols the Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett would be watching his side from home (probably not the local restaurant) as his side took on the Brisbane Broncos. A win for the Rabbitohs would lift them from eighth to sixth in the table, but a loss for the Broncos could see them lose any real last hope of a top eight finish and a place in the play-offs.
The Rabbitohs switched Jack Johns into the side for Jaydn Su’A, while the Broncos made three changes from last week with Brodie Croft, David Fifita and Matthew Lodge into the side in place of Milford, Bullemor and Kennedy.
The bookies fancied a win for Souths but from fifteenth place in the league the sleeping giant, the Broncos, weren’t such long odds as their ladder position might suggest.
It took fourteen minutes for the Rabbitohs to register the first try of the game. Fast hands saw the ball out to the left wing with Dane Gagai taking the final pass and sliding over on a drenched pitch. Adam Reynolds kicked the conversion from wide for a 6-0 lead.
An off the ball obstruction from the Broncos on seventeen gave the Bunnies a kickable penalty and Reynolds slotted the ball between the uprights to extend the lead by two.
The Broncos opened their account on twenty with fast hands, in difficult conditions, from right to left with Englishman Herbie Farnworth crossing in space. A superb touchline conversion from Kotoni Staggs took Brisbane back to within two points.
On the half-hour Jaxson Paulo put a grubber through a forest of Brisbane legs and the chase for the bouncing ball was won by Reynolds to ground. The scrumhalf added the conversion to his own try for 14-6.
With five minutes of the half remaining the Bunnies scored the simplest of tries when Mark Nicholls went through five attempted tackles to score a try under the shadow of the H. Reynolds added the goal and any hope of a Broncos resurgence were long gone.
The Broncos pushed the door ajar again just four minutes after the restart with David Fifita spinning out of a first tackle and the pushing off two further attempts. Staggs was unable to kick the conversion, the Broncos now 10-20 behind.
A Reynolds penalty on fifty extended the margin back to twelve points.
With thirteen left on the clock a try from Tom Burgess sealed the points as crashed the line from ten metres with three tacklers attached. Reynolds banged over the conversion for 28-10, the points well and truly in the bag.
Reynolds missed a simple looking penalty kick with sixty seconds remaining but the victory was long since won and the final hooter brought blessed relied for the Broncos.
Souths are up to sixth in the table and ready to take a tilt at the top four but for the Broncos it is increasingly likely that they will have to write off the season and look towards 2021 as they have little to no chance of making the play-offs. The Bunnies controlled the game and never looked in and danger of failing to collect the two points. This Broncos is a shadow of their former selves and they are playing like they know that their season is already over.
South Sydney Rabbitohs: Mitchell, Johnston, Graham, Gagai (T), Paulo. Walker, Reynolds (T, 6G), Tatola, Cook, Burgess (T), Sironen, Knight. Murray. Subs: Nicholls (T), Mago, Koloamatangi, Johns.
Brisbane Broncos: Boyd, Kennar, Staggs (G), Farnworth (T), Coates, Croft, Dearden, Flegler, Turpin, Haas, Fifita (T), Pangai Junior, Carrigan. Subs: Luke, Ofahengaue, Te’o. Lodge.
Referee: Grant Atkins.
Half-Time: 20-6.
Full-Time: 28-10.
Ground: ANZ Stadium, Sydney.
