100 Greatest Moments for South Sydney since 2002's return.

[The Mad Hatter]

Ok...

After a bit of an online chat with DiegoNT about past glories, I've been looking through some old videos and YouTube for good memories (and since I've had kids, I seem to have forgotten a few as I'm not as 'obsessed' as I used to be.

So anyway, I need Rabbitohs (and others') feedback / posts / memories of great moments / games since 2002 when we returned to the game.

So feel free to submit things, and if a video link exists, even better.

I've blocked out #100 and #1 so we can duke out the remaining 98 positions and there's plenty enough despite our ups and downs as a team and a club.

#100 will be our return in Rd 1 2002.

I'm pretty sure we can all agree what #1 will be.

So let's have some good fun filling in the gaps. In no particular order, let's find 98 other great moments and then we can sort them out. Have fun!

 

[DiegoNT]

There was a game, i think it was 2004, where we were going through a tough period and Owen craigie scored a match winner and did a blacklock style flip

 

[The Mad Hatter]

#100

After a two year absence from the top league, Souths return to the NRL with a match up against local rivals the Sydney Roosters. The Sydney Roosters had rebuilt themselves in the mid to late 1990's which had resulted in their appearance in the 2000 Grand Final. Bolstered with a nice big pack and littered with quality in the backline, Souths would come up against the Roosters as they began a golden run that saw them in three successive Grand Finals between 2002-2004.

There was a lot of excitement for Souths fans. The pain of being rejected from the competition due to the News Ltd criteria and the resultant fight in the courts, set against the back drop of the post Super League NRL era and numerous mergers, club deaths and tumult in general, was definitely rectified as the bunnies ran out on to the SFS for the first time in two years.

Here is a video of a membership ad for 2002:


Craig Coleman was coach, Adam Muir captain.

Souths' team consisted of some up and comers, journeymen and footy players looking for a job.
Teams and scorers thanks to:
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-2002/round-1/south-sydney-vs-sydney/summary.html




The result was unfortunate. Souths were easily outplayed and outclassed, however, for the pure and simple fact we were back, with the atmosphere and the emotion of it all, it didn't seem to matter that we lost. I suppose an irksome point would be golden boy Craig Wing had decided to remain at the Rooters and played against us. That it would 5 long years of few wins and a transit lounge of players being paid overs and juniors being thrust in to first grade before they were ready, was sadly, symptomatic of the times.

Yet this first game was important because we were back. A lot of blood, sweat and tears were expended during 2000-2001, and more would come as we tried to restore ourselves as 'The Pride of the League'.

 

[themacemaceman]

I'll throw in the following

Max Merritts 5 tries v Eels in 2011.

Rd19 2012 v Rorters "you can take me now... I have seen it all!"

Rd 5 2012 Inglis field goal v Tigers

2009 Merritt field goal v Tigers at SCG.

 

[Rabbit toes]

Hard to believe wade McKinnon played for us all those years back.
What's Jason death up to nowadays??

Wondering where Merritts field goal against the tigers will slot in, top 10 I'd say!

 

[Rabbit toes]

Also great thread. Good to see something sensible and not negative
. Well done

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2009 - Round 10 vs Wests Tigers at the SCG.

Nathan Merritt's field goal. 'Nuff said.

 

[Rabbit toes]

Still gives me chills.

Love ya Max!

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2010 - Round 22 vs Wests Tigers at ANZ.

Dylan Farrell scores 90th minute Golden Point try against Tigers.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2011 - Round 22 vs Parramatta Eels at ANZ.

Nathan Merritt was a try scoring whizz. 154 in 237 games (Souths 146 tries in 218 games). He joined greats to nab 5 tries in a single match.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2012 - Round 5 vs Wests Tigers at SFS.

GI kicks a dinky field goal in Golden Point to win Souths a game, when the Rabbitohs had to come from behind to tie up the scores.

I just remember how exhilarating this was.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2016 - Round 3 vs St George Illawarra at the SCG.

This is a funny moment, the subject of many memes and hearty LOL@Souffs.

I'd just won my first cricket premiership and was at the pub watching this. Mind you, this was the game where Sammy Burgess was stretchered off with a serious looking neck injury.

Anyway...still chuckle worthy.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2014 - Round 8 vs Brisbane at the Suncorp.

A stunning, breath taking try on Anzac Day 2014, this was the magic of GI in full flight.

 

[themacemaceman]

2012 - Round 5 vs Wests Tigers at SFS.

GI kicks a dinky field goal in Golden Point to win Souths a game, when the Rabbitohs had to come from behind to tie up the scores.

I just remember how exhilarating this was.

A great finish to a frustrating game.
My mate left early as the game was over.
I text him when we levelled up and he came back in the other side of the stadium to see the field goal.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2013- Round 4 vs Canterbury-Bankstown at ANZ.

The annual Good Friday clash in front of 51,686 fans [at the time, a record for a club round attendance]. An electric atmosphere for this encounter, the 17-12 win was a good result for the rabbits. They had lost the prelim in 2012 to the Bulldogs who went on to lose the GF to the Storm, and Souths were in their ascendency towards 21.

In a tough encounter, there are two great moments in this video:

* Roy Asotasi's running over the top of Michael Ennis
* George Burgess' barnstorming try.

I remember it being a great day. Sure, any win over the Dogs is great but generally Souths / Dogs encounters are hard fought and a joy to watch. This one...a Good Friday indeed.

 

[Rabbit toes]

I remember being at a broncos home game against Souths and champion had a blinder. Not sure but he scored a few tries

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2005- Round 26 vs Cronulla-Sutherland at Shark Park.

2002-2004 we'd won two spoons and would have won a third if not for the Bulldogs salary cap dramas in 2002.

2005 we'd strung some wins together and unearthed some talent to compliment our 'stars'.

Anyway, leading in to the final round, we'd won 8 games. We were up against finals bound Cronulla Sharks and if Newcastle had upset St George Illawarra and we'd lost, we'd have got the spoon.

So, on this Saturday night, I traipsed down to Shark Park with my fiancee at the time. This is before house and kids and we'd go to every Souths game in NSW during a season.

All I really remember if we were behind, and then we won. And I stood up the end, waving my flag and hooting and hollering like a prize twit because we couldn't 'win' the spoon. I relished the atmosphere and for the next week got ragged by everybody because I'd been unknowingly caught by the Fox cameras waving my flag like Nelson had just won at Trafalgar.

Still, after three years of holding up the bottom of the table 13/15 was -to put it subtly - a 'f**king great result'.

Still looking for video, so if someone finds some, let me know.

http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-2005/round-26/cronulla-vs-south-sydney/summary.html

 

[DiegoNT]

Early in 2007 there was a game against parra where joe williams set up a great try for merritt with a chip kick

Late in 2007 at liechardt when we qualified for our first finals in decades

Jaiman lowe knocking out a bloke for grabbing his nuts

Dylan Farrell on debut

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2007- Round 25 vs Sydney Roosters at ANZ.

I love a good Roosters rivalry. Funnily enough, I don't hate them.

But on this night, the finals bound Rabbitohs took on the Roosters who were out of contention

It was the Roosters who prevailed before a 32,125 crowd, but it was David Faalogo who dished out what many in RL wanted to always do - smack one right in the kisser of Braith 'Bwaith' Anasta.

That he got sin binned too was hilarious. If the boot was on the other foot, I'm sure I'd be up and hurling coke bottles at the ref.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2007- Round 11 vs Gold Coast Titans at Carrara.

I was a big fan of no nonsense Jaiman Lowe.

This certainly was a no nonsense retaliation towards Brett Delaney for squeezing his nuts.

From the Herald Sun:
Rabbitohs CEO Shane Richardson concurred. "No one denies what Jaiman Lowe did," he said. "But to say it's a king-hit is rubbish. Someone put it in the Danny Williams category – that's disappointing."

You decide.