"We won't be taking them lightly" - Gagai:
https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/08/13/we-wont-be-taking-them-lightly---gagai/
Also, from Sporting News,
Cody Walker says playmakers must expect to be hit when running the ball
South Sydney Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker says there's confusion around the rules interpretations in rugby league at the moment, but says halves in the modern game must be prepared to take a hit when they run the ball.
The NRL's referees are in the spotlight again this week after Tigers forward Luke Garner and Bulldogs lock Chris Smith were sin binned on Saturday night.
There was an immediate outcry from fans and pundits over Smith's hit on Tigers second-rower Ryan Matterson in the dying stages of Canterbury's win, with Paul Gallen saying it was one of the worst calls he's ever seen.
Walker, who has been one of the Bunnies' best in 2019, admits that the referees have a tough job to do, but doesn't want to see them overplaying their hand.
"You have to understand that we're in a position where we have to go to the line," Walker told
Sporting News.
"We have to cop a hit for the next person to gain any sort of momentum.
"If you play early, then it's easy for the defence to read that sort of stuff.
"It's a hard one."
If the referees insist on overreacting to plays similar to the hits Garner and Smith were sin binned for, it's just a matter of time before playmakers begin taking advantage of it.
"It's confused. With the late hits, it's a hard thing to try and get right every time," Walker said.
"I just think it might encourage players to lay down and turn their back when they pass the footy and all those sorts of things.
"I don't have an answer for it.
"You do have to be careful, those neck injuries are pretty dangerous - there's whiplash and stuff like that.
"I just don't know about people running to the line and turning their backs to the line.
"It's a fine line and no one knows what the right thing is at the moment.
"We look at replays in slow-mo and it looks like he can pull out, but in the moment, in the heat of the game, if he dummies there and he goes through, well he's getting hammered about letting a bloke run straight past him.
"I don't want it to go down the path of seeing halves getting serious injuries to the neck, but we do play an important role where we have to cop a hit once in a while."
Currently fourth on the NRL ladder, South Sydney are coming off losses to the Sharks and Storm over the last two weeks and will take on a resurgent Bulldogs outfit at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
Despite suffering two losses on the bounce, Walker says the Bunnies can take positives out of Sunday's 26-16 loss to Melbourne.
"If we'd played the way we did against Cronulla, it would have been a different story," he said.
"But our attitude and our play switched and we still had moments to win that game.
"They've been playing outstanding, they've been the form side of the compeition. We'll take some confidence out of that, but we know we have to be better as well.
"It was moments that let us down and sides like Melbourne really hurt you for it.
"We bought it back to 12-all but let them off the hook with our next set after points and our fifth tackle options."
