A loss to finish the Season, but I'm glad we did finish the year on a good note. It's obviously not a nice feeling to lose any game, and it especially burns losing to the arch-rivals, that hurts, but I do think the boys performed admirably last night and it was a game we can be proud of all things considered. That is all we can really ask for right now.
The first half especially I am proud of. I know the Roosters were off their game, but I thought we somewhat forced them to play that way. Our lads looked a little slow to start, but they certainly warmed into it and looked as switched on as I've seen in any game this year. Our aggression and physicality was pretty good, and we didn't take a backwards step, I liked that. They really tried their guts out in the opening stanza. The sad thing was, despite all the field position we had, we simply didn't have the attacking weapons in our side to capitalise. Just a lack of troops really. They still did their best, and the tries to Jye and Cody were pretty good.
The first 20 minutes of the second half was a real let-down though and that was simply not good enough. We lost focus and undid all of that good work in the first half. Honestly, some of the defensive efforts in this period were disgraceful and I was pretty angry at this point. It felt like the Season was going to end in the worst way possible, with us being dominated by our hated rival.
But to the boys credit, they never gave up, and they really dug in and turned it around. The last 15 minutes were just about the most enjoyable 15 minutes of the entire Season. We played some great Footy!! And the Roosters simply couldn't stop us it seemed. Yea, they probably clocked off, but I'll still take it. Scintillating tries to Munro, and the team try to Gray was amazing! But the highlight was certainly Tommy scoring and then converting! Really proud of that effort from the boys and it was nice to get it to a respectable scoreline. Losing by eight with all the outs we had ain't bad. Not the worst way to end the year.
last night was extremely emotional for me though. I shed a tear watching Tom and Cook walk out of the tunnel for the first time, then the guard of honor for Coote was pretty cool. But the emotion really hit me when Tom was on the sideline about to come on for his last ever stint. Then it really got me when Tom went over for his try, what a moment. I'm glad he got that and he certainly deserves it in his final game. I was a blubbering mess for both him and Cookie from that moment on til the end of the game and probably the ten or so minutes after halftime. It was just hard to comprehend and believe that the Burgess era is over. That Tom's time here is done. So too Cookie, both modern-day legends of our club. I'm not afraid to admit I cried thinking of that in the dying minutes and watching them do their thing in the Red and Green for the last time. But it was also somewhat happy tears.
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. And I am certainly happy to have lived in a time where I got to watch these guys and cheer them on every week. It's been a privilege.
A mixed night to end a shitty Season, but I am mostly proud today. Losing to those ******s sucks, but we can be proud of that performance and that's something.
Hard to believe it's all over now, but I will admit I am a little relieved it is.
In a gripping encounter at Accor Stadium, the Rabbitohs fell to the Roosters in a tough battle.
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The South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters face off in Round 27 of the 2024 NRL Telstra Premiership
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Tom Burgess, Damien Cook and Ben Hornby chat to the media after their Round 27 clash against the Roosters
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One of the great press conferences in South Sydney history there. That was perfect. Funny and emotional. Loved that.
Roosters’ answer to injury crisis; new Souths low in season from hell — What we learned
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