RABBITOHS FIND THEIR MOJO AGAIN
SOUTH Sydney have flexed their premiership muscle just a week out from the NRL finals with a 51-10 demolition of the Wests Tigers.
A worrying hamstring injury to Sam Burgess in the second half put a dampener on the win in front of 12,037 at ANZ Stadium last night.
After losing their previous three games, the Rabbitohs bounced back emphatically with owner Russell Crowe watching from the stands.
Halves Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds were superb while the likes of Alex Johnston and Damien Cook ran riot on the back of their go-forward.
The stats told the whole story – the Rabbitohs had 10 players run for 100-plus metres and the Tigers none.
The Rabbitohs made 1797 metres compared to the Tigers’ 711m.
With his side wrapping up a top four spot, and a likely blockbuster against the Sydney Roosters in the first week of the finals, coach Anthony Seibold gave Cook and skipper Greg Inglis a break in the last 10 minutes.
After the home side led 22-10 at halftime, Campbell Graham’s 50th minute try broke the Tigers’ backs.
And they proceeded to run in five unanswered tries in the final 30 minutes, including four in the space of nine minutes.
The Rabbitohs’ night took a turn for the worse when Burgess limped from the field in the 53rd minute and up the tunnel after an awkward tackle on Benji Marshall.
He did not return to the sideline for the rest of the game and it comes just two weeks after the British international had minor elbow surgery.