Bunnies show their fans glimpse of the future
SOUTH Sydney fans will get an early look at their longterm future against St George Illawarra on Saturday night.
With Rabbitohs stars Cody Walker, Adam Reynolds and Damien Cook all putting their feet up ahead of the finals and Latrell Mitchell suspended, rookies Blake Taaffe, Lachlan Ilias and Peter Mamouzelos will play first grade together for the first time.
Their appearance comes as South Sydney enters one final premiership tilt with its departing captain Reynolds and master coach Wayne Bennett.
They will also go head-tohead with the Dragons’ own star junior combination of Tyrell Sloan, Junior Amone and Jayden Sullivan.
Taaffe, Ilias and Mamouzelos already know each other’s game inside out after they combined to steer the Rabbitohs to a Jersey Flegg premiership in 2019.
Ben Rogers, who coached the 2019 side to the grand final win over Canberra, said “the whole group was really close, but Blake and Lachlan were the key connectors”.
“They were good kids, very popular, and they drove the standards on and off the field,” he said.
While hooker Mamouzelos debuted earlier this year and Taaffe will replace Mitchell for the rest of the season, the match against the Dragons will mark Ilias’ NRL debut.
Rabbitohs winger Jaxson Paulo and Parramatta forward Ky Rodwell, who made his NRL debut on Friday, are two more members of the illustrious side to crack the big time.
But it’s Taaffe who will have to hit the ground running as he steps in for the suspended Mitchell for the rest of the season.
Rogers has no doubts the 22-year-old can fill Mitchell’s enormous shoes.
“He’s got that speed but he’s also got that ability to catch and pass like a half,” he said.