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Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Rabbitohs vs Sea Eagles: Friday 20th September 7:50pm @ANZ Stadium

callmack1

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Staff member
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11,611
Sudden death footy is here, really looking forward to this huge match up against another big rival in Manly for Finals week 2! Yes, we lost last week and it was very disappointing but we need to put that all behind us and not dwell on it too much. In my opinion, it was clearly an off night. We are a far better side that that. The boys know it and our fans know it too. So we need to take what we can from that game and move on pretty quickly. What's more, maybe losing that game wasn't so bad as we are now on the better side of the Draw I feel.

It will be great to be back home and I really hope we can get a massive crowd out there on Friday night because this is a huge clash!! As I said, it's sudden death footy and the Sea Eagles are a big rival!

We simply have to be on for this game, there is no two ways about it, we need to be one hundred times better than last week and there is no doubt about that. If the fact that it it really is do or die now doesn't fire the boys up and inspire them, then nothing will. I'm sure we'll be ready. Manly will be feeling very confident despite their injury issues and I must say, they are looking really good. They will be primed for this one no doubt so we need to be as well. As I have said for a while now, we know that we have the side to do it, it's just a matter of belief. Hopefully our belief is as high as ever because the door is open if we want it. It will help and be very good that we can hopefully name our strongest side in a long time as Sam and Gags return, that'll be a big boost as we missed them last week and we all know what they bring.

Sudden death footy, bring it on!!!!

Week 2 Finals Draw, match-ups: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/15/week-2-finals-draw-match-ups/
 

Rabbit57

Juniors
Messages
170
We will definitely need to provide more options in attack. Most importantly we need a fullback who is trailing the ruck ready to turn half breaks and offloads into clean breaks. Watch paperhayzen, Tedesco even Gutherson to see the work ethic needed for this position. This is a really important part of the game that we are missing. cookie needs this kind of support to capitalise on his good work. Until we get more of a threat through the middle our outside backs and edge runners will remain sitting ducks. Never been a more important week to get selections right. Fingers crossed for a great game.
 

Mr Spock!

Referee
Messages
22,502
We will definitely need to provide more options in attack. Most importantly we need a fullback who is trailing the ruck ready to turn half breaks and offloads into clean breaks. Watch paperhayzen, Tedesco even Gutherson to see the work ethic needed for this position. This is a really important part of the game that we are missing. cookie needs this kind of support to capitalise on his good work. Until we get more of a threat through the middle our outside backs and edge runners will remain sitting ducks. Never been a more important week to get selections right. Fingers crossed for a great game.

Like the final last year, the roosters shut us down easily.

Basically have 3 attacking plays - Cook, Walker, Reynolds kicking.

It's finals and Cook won't be getting quick play the balls.

Not quite sure why we persist in grubbing into the Roosters ingoal when they're excellent at defending it. Maybe time to go high and make it a lottery.
 

handyman2190

Bench
Messages
3,386
We will definitely need to provide more options in attack. Most importantly we need a fullback who is trailing the ruck ready to turn half breaks and offloads into clean breaks. Watch paperhayzen, Tedesco even Gutherson to see the work ethic needed for this position. This is a really important part of the game that we are missing. cookie needs this kind of support to capitalise on his good work. Until we get more of a threat through the middle our outside backs and edge runners will remain sitting ducks. Never been a more important week to get selections right. Fingers crossed for a great game.
I dont get it,why change douhi from FB, put AJ on the bloody wing and leave him there, thomas should start at prop, sam in the second row, and i dont know if i would even play george. We need stability and hunger, something we didnt have friday.
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
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11,611
My predicted Line Up for this weeks Semi Final,

1. Doueihi
2. Johnston
3. Gagai
4. Roberts
5. Graham
6. Walker
7. Reynolds
8. Tatola
9. Cook
10. Knight
11. Sutton
12. S.Burgess (C)
13. Murray

14. Su'A
15. Lowe
16. G.Burgess
17. T.Burgess

I feel that Doueihi must go back to fullback, he really found his feet there and we were doing well. I feel that putting AJ back there is just too disruptive for Finals time due to the combinations that have been built. With Gags back, I think he plays left centre due to his form shown there and Jimmy shifts back to the right. With AJ on the left flank, this will see Graham move to the right in my opinion. That's pretty much our best backline I feel. Due to all three Burgess boys playing, Sam will most likely move back to the right edge and I feel Tatola deserves to start with both twins on the bench. Su'A will also drop to the interchange. What a great bench this would be!

It's sudden death footy so Wayne absolutely must get these selections right!

Guess we'll find out very soon!!
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,611

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,611
Rabbitohs vs Manly 2014 Qualifying Final: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/17/rabbitohs-v-manly-2014-qualifying-final/

Training Gallery - Finals Week 2: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/17/training-gallery-finals-week-two/

"We need to be on our game" - Graham: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/17/we-need-to-be-on-our-game---graham/

"We have a good rivalry" - Johnston: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/17/we-have-a-good-rivalry---johnston/

Last year's Finals loss driving Tatola: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/17/last-years-finals-loss-driving-tatola/

Burgess to bring aggression: https://www.foxsports.com.au/video/league

Adam Doueihi - Wayne Bennett doesn't owe me an apology

While he appreciates the gesture, South Sydney fullback Adam Doueihi says coach Wayne Bennett didn’t need to accept blame for a positional switch gone wrong in last week’s qualifying final loss to the Roosters.

Bennett admitted he erred in moving Doueihi from fullback to wing after the Roosters’ right-edge brutally exposed the young Rabbitoh in the heavy 30-6 defeat.

The premiers scored three tries down Doueihi’s side, helping condemn the Bunnies to a sudden death showdown with Manly on Friday night.

“It was nice of him (Bennett) to say but I take most of the blame,” Doueihi told Sporting News on Tuesday.

“It was obviously a foreign position for me playing on the wing but I told him (Bennett) I was confident playing there and I worked hard during the week to get my positional stuff correct.

“(Joseph) Manu and the rest of them exposed us pretty quickly and dented my confidence a bit, but you learn from it and dump it and move on.”

Asked what he found the most challenging aspect of playing wing, Doueihi explained: “Defensively it is tough. You have to have a lot of trust in your centre and your inside pressure and know when to go back and when to stay up and when to jam up and slide off.

“I found it pretty tough but it’s in the past.

“I am back to fullback this week and ready to rip in.”

Souths look a more settled side with Doueihi at No.1, Campbell Graham moved back to the wing and Dane Gagai returning in the centres for Friday night’s ANZ Stadium must-win encounter.

Inspirational skipper Sam Burgess also returns from suspension.

Manly and Souths have beaten each other once this season, both games decided by one point.
 

callmack1

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11,611
‘Seething’ Sam Burgess slams ‘kangaroo court’ judiciary after hair pull ban: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/0774705d6682de346bf6126faf4841c7

"It's like kangaroo court": https://www.foxsports.com.au/video/league

Sam Burgess in strife over 'kangaroo court' claim about judiciary: https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/18/sam-burgess-in-strife-over-kangaroo-court-claim-about-judiciary/

I honestly cannot believe the reaction from the NRL about that. Like seriously. Sam was simply voicing his opinion, an opinion that is univerally held across the game. Many, myself included completely agree with him! Why should Sam be fined/diciplined for comments like that when guys like James Graham, Kent and Rothfield have said similar things? What Sam said wasn't even bad anyway, he was simply asking the question. It's a joke!! We don't need this a few days out from our biggest game of the year and it's a big overreaction from the NRL in my opinion.
 

callmack1

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Staff member
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11,611
Rabbitohs won't make excuses: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/18/rabbitohs-wont-make-excuses/

Rabbitohs must lift intensity: https://www.foxsports.com.au/video/league

The Burgess bros light up League Life: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/18/the-burgess-bros-light-up-league-life/

Sam Burgess is in full Terminator mode - and you can't stop him

An angry Sam Burgess is a dangerous Sam Burgess.

The South Sydney enforcer enters Friday night’s knockout semi against Manly in Terminator mode after the NRL called him in for a chat following his explosive comments about the way the game is headed.

Burgess is filthy he missed a finals game for a hair pull and doesn’t care who knows.

He warned the Rabbitohs against putting him in front of the microphones at last week’s finals launch but they pushed him out there anyway.

It resulted in an angry exchange with a media man over a relative innocuous line of questioning that dominated the headlines for days.

Burgess stormed off, pissed off.

On Friday night, he sat silent as the Roosters carved his beloved Rabbitohs up.

They reckon you could see the anger rising within him.

How was he missing such an important game for a f..king hair pull?

The anger had not subsided by the time he sat in front of a little sign with his name on it as Souths’ media day at a rainy Redfern Oval on Tuesday morning.

The queue for Sam sound bites is always long and soon grew when word got around he was unleashing.

Speaking like a man who genuinely didn’t give a stuff about the consequences, the Englishman let it all hang out.

He said the NRL and media were ‘killing’ rugby league and called for an overhaul of a judiciary system that sees players miss big games for minor offences.

He described the judiciary as a ‘kangaroo court’, deeply offending the panel’s chairman Geoff Bellew in the process, and pledged to keep pushing boundaries on the field.

Burgess signed off the interview by telling journos: “F..k, I’ve given you some headlines.”

He sure had…just not the sort of headlines the NRL was after.

Bellew is furious at the ‘kangaroo court’ slight.

He’s a good man from a family who has given a lifetime of service to rugby league.

He is a Supreme Court case so deals with case a tad more important than a playground hair pull.

Bellew is offended at suggestions the process he oversees is not professional and conducted with greatest of integrity.

The NRL had to act on Burgess if they wanted to keep Bellew, which they do.

Burgess will apologise to Bellew but the time bomb is still ticking.

A visit to NRL headquarters and a rap over the knuckles for speaking his mind will only increase the rage.

He feels he’s got nothing to lose now.

He’s been hammered for his ill-disciplined on the field and copped it for some of his behaviour away from it.

What more could the game throw at him?

How he harnesses that anger and aggression will determine whether Souths tip out of the finals early - or land premiership number 22.
 

Travitoh

First Grade
Messages
5,163
I don't know to be honest. TV coverage is SkySports. (your Fox Sports)
I tend to stream ABC radio commentary. Any other alternative radio I should be aware of?

Try watchnrl.com and see if there's a free trial period.
Or do you know if streaming games through the NRL app works? I might be able to sort you a log in.
 

callmack1

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Staff member
Messages
11,611
Coaches Media Finals Week 2: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/09/19/coaches-media-nrl-finals-week-2/

Wayne was on fire in that interview!! Love it!! I also love what he said in regards to Sam's situation because I honestly couldn't agree more! Awesome to hear him back Sam.

Selfless Johnston happy to be Doueihi's wingman ... for now: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2...ton-happy-to-be-doueihis-wingman-...-for-now/

Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles - Guest coaches Kimmorley and Renouf go head to head: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2...coaches-kimmorley-and-renouf-go-head-to-head/

Why Rabbitohs teammates wouldn’t change Sam Burgess for anyone: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...e/news-story/dd582c4b8ddadc8c65bf1f238bd91230

Damien Cook defends 'angry head' Sam Burgess after latest run-in with judiciary

South Sydney Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook has defended fiery team-mate Sam Burgess after his latest run-in with the judiciary and NRL CEO Todd Greenberg.

Burgess was offered a show-cause notice by the governing body after making comments referring to the judiciary process as a 'kangaroo court'.

Cook admitted on The Big Sports Breakfast that the English international had had "a couple of slip-ups" this year, however, he believes that his aggressive style of play entertains fans and helps change the course of a match.

"I wouldn’t say angry but I’d like to hope he had his aggressive head on," Cook said.

"He puts fear into the other team,

"When he gets it right, he can change the game, which will all love as fans,

"We love when he puts one of those hits or runs on and he can change the momentum of the game.

"He’s had a couple of slip-ups this year,

"I think the way he went with the judiciary, it wasn’t really the hair pulling he probably got suspended for, it was a couple of other things leading up to that.

"Moving forward, he's back now on the edge, which I love, so I'm looking forward to that."

Cook and the Rabbitohs were embarrassed in their opening finals match against the Roosters, with the NSW hooker suggesting that the drubbing was well deserved.

"Not sure what happened in the first half, all we can put it down to is that we know that the Roosters start fast and you’ve got to play your best against them and beat them at their own game," he believes.

"We went out and didn’t match their intensity from the start,

"We got what we deserved for the performance that we had.

"We don't have time to talk about the game, we need to move onto Manly immediately."

Souths will welcome back the oldest Burgess along with Queensland centre Dane Gagai for the elimination semi-final against the Manly Sea Eagles, with the prospect of a near full-strength side exciting Cook.

"It’s probably one of our strongest line-ups of the whole year," Cook believes.

"Everyone is going to be back on the pack…our back five is very strong, so there is a lot of confidence in the side this week."
 
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