Post-Inglis era starts well for Rabbitohs
South Sydney started life without Greg Inglis with a rusty 14-6 NRL win over Canterbury in Sydney last night.
The Rabbitohs maintained their footing inside the top four with the two points but looked far below their best in the traditional Good Friday clash.
Both sides failed to trouble the scoreboard in the second half as Souths repeatedly invited the Bulldogs into the contest and Dean Pay’s side lacked the class to capitalise on their opportunities.
After what was the first scoreless second half since round one in 2017, Alex Johnston’s 26th-minute try off a Damien Cook grubber proved the match winner.
Souths skipper Inglis called time on his illustrious career during the week, but the Rabbitohs still had enough star power to get the job done through Cook, Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker.
The Bulldogs put in a muchimproved effort after last week’s 40-4 drubbing to St George Illawarra but, at times, looked devoid of ideas without injured five-eighth Kieran Foran.
The highlight of the match was the running battle between Dogs halfback Lachlan Lewis and Souths enforcer Sam Burgess.
Lewis managed to get under Burgess’ skin on a number of occasions and, to the Queenslander’s credit, he refused to be intimidated by the English international who was clearly targeting him on Souths’ right edge.
Tensions rose just before halftime when Burgess took offence to a tackle from Lewis, prompting the two sides to come together.
Wayne Bennett’s side had 66 per cent of possession and 63 per cent of territory in the first half, but only led 14-6 at the break.
The Bulldogs were denied by the bunker when Kerrod Holland pushed Dane Gagai in the back before grounding the ball.
However, they couldn’t be turned down when Ofahiki Ogden crashed over the top of Cook to make it 6-6.
But, when Cook trickled the ball behind the line, he found a flying Johnston to give the Rabbitohs an eight-point advantage at the break.
They could have led by more if Liam Knight had not obstructed Lewis which led to a Corey Allan try being turned down.
If the Warriors beat the Cowboys at Mt Smart Stadium tonight, it won’t be because they overpowered their opposition up front, but because they outmanoeuvered them.
There are several myths and cliches Australian pundits like to throw at the Warriors every now and then.
They talk about how the Warriors can only play an unstructured game, even saying they play a ‘coconut style’ of footy, as Billy Moore said in 2015, making a racist comment for which he later apologised.
They also talked up Shaun Johnson to god-like levels, although those over there who saw the two blunders he made for the Sharks last weekend against the Roosters and the woeful first half against the Panthers on Thursday might be changing their tunes.
They also go on about the Warriors having massive forwards, that their props are fearsome, muscular giants. However, that is no longer the case and hasn’t been for a while.
Gone are big men from the past like Joe Vagana, Jerry Seuseu, Mark Tookey, Richard Villasanti, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino.
They’ve been replaced by smaller, lighter and more mobile props who may not bend the defensive line as much, but squeeze through it.
Of the four props playing against the Cowboys, Agnatius Paasi is the heaviest at 114kg, while Leeson Ah Mau and Bunty Afoa are 3kg lighter and Sam Lisone is a slender 110kg.
None are taller than 185cm but Lisone says size isn’t what they’re about.
‘‘We’re not all big like the Souths boys, they’re all massive,’’ Lisone said.
‘‘But our key is that we’re mobile. Some of our forwards are really fast and we just go off that – speed kills!’’
The Cowboys’ Jordan McLean is 117kg and 196cm, while Matt Scott and Scott Bolton are also big, with only Francis Molo smaller than the Warriors props.
Lisone believes the way the game is going is for the downsizing of props.
‘‘If you just look at the game, it’s changing,’’ the 25-year-old Lisone said. ‘‘It’s gone away from the big, muscle game.
‘‘It’s all about quick play-the-balls, who can get the speed wins the ground. That’s where the game has moved to, so you need lighter and smaller forwards.
‘‘Look at Jazz Tevaga, he plays in the middle and he’s only 94kg. But you can see he moves around really good. That’s where the game is moving to, so I reckon the lighter you are, the better.’’
Lisone, who was suspended for the games against the Sea Eagles and Titans, was part of a forward pack that went well against the Rabbitohs on the Sunshine Coast last weekend and it’s heartening for Warriors fans to see the team do well up the middle again.
‘‘That was probably one of the best games this season from our middles,’’ Lisone said of the Rabbitohs game.
‘‘We’ve got to go off that, that will be the benchmark and we’ve got to go to another level.’’
The Cowboys will be missing Jason Taumalolo tonight, with the Tongan international still out with a knee injury.
They come to Auckland on a four-game losing streak and have been a shadow of the dominant team they were during Johnathan Thurston’s prime.
However, they still have talented players and while the Warriors should win, no one’s expecting it to be easy.
‘‘They’re coming from a long way to be here and I’m sure they won’t come to muck around,’’ Lisone said. ‘‘They’ll be bringing their A-game and we’ll have to match that.’’
‘‘It’s all about quick play-the-balls, who can get the speed wins the ground.’’
Sam Lisone