What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Qualifying Final - Panthers vs Rabbitohs: Saturday 11th September 7:50pm @Queensland Country Bank Stadium

NovoBunny94

Juniors
Messages
675
Like I said.. NRL have an Agenda
Could you imagine the world if the Penrith Panthers who the media have been banging up allllll year don’t make the GF? It would be a Travesty 🤦🏻‍♂️
 

Steenson123

Juniors
Messages
486
I'm not sure what Su'A is doing in the lineup. The guy is an enigma and in three seasons he has only proven his total inconsistency. Also I would have played Burns put him on the flank and Alex at FB. Taaffe cannot play in this he is simply not ready for Iron Man's towering pressure punts. Burns is tall and has experience plus he grew up with Iron Man at "Riff so he knows him well.
 

Rabbits20

Immortal
Messages
41,606
Another year & another top 4 finish for the Rabbitohs which is quite a nice thing to say after the club spent so long in the wilderness.

Even more satisfying for me was that I won my bet I have every year with my mate the Roosters fan Con Parris.

Our long-standing wager is the team that finishes highest on the ladder out of the Bunnies & the Evil Empire wins a box of beer for the victor at the others expense.

I don’t remember the last time I collected & even in 2014 when we won the competition, I still had to cough up a slab because the latte sippers finished higher than us on the ladder. That was tough.

Last week the Dragons were terrible for the majority of the game & we saw a couple of youngsters put in eye catching performances in Pete Mamouzelos & Lachy Ilias who scored a try on debut. I thought Davvy Moale did well too & when you consider that he’s only 18 years old the future looks bright for our emerging talent.

We all know the story that the Rabbitohs have fallen at the last hurdle in 3 consecutive preliminary finals & this year missing one of our best players in Latrell doesn’t leave me filled with a whole lot of confidence that it won’t happen again.

Even at full strength the Bunnies were up against it. The Storm put 50 on us earlier in the year & the team they’ve picked this week has Harry Grant, Nicho Hynes & Nelson Asofa-Solomona on the bench!

The Panthers have beaten us twice & one of those was also a 50-point hammering.

In good news those last few points I made will be the last of the negativity that you will have to endure in this article.

I co-host Rabbitohs Radio & bleed red & green so let’s get to the good stuff.

We played sensational footy for the first 30 minutes to lead 12 nil against the Panthers in round 23 at Suncorp. We went on to concede 25 unanswered points but that was assisted by some nauseating officiating.

Points tend to flow on the back of an 11-2 penalty count so on an even playing field I believe we can beat them this time around up in Townsville.

Our bench is almost as impressive as the Storms & looks equally as good as the Panthers if not better.

The Panthers do have Tevita Pangai Junior & Liam Martin sitting on the pine but we have Jai Arrow, Benji, Jacob Host & big Tommy as our super subs.

The key to victory I believe lies in our spine & in particular in the hands of Cody Walker. We need him to rise to the occasion on the big stage & produce the type of playmaking that saw him set up a 1000 tries this year.

We need Cody to lead us all the way to the gf & take care of some unfinished business in the big games.

Captain Reyno has been tremendous all year, the way he digs into the line & straightens our attack is so valuable. It’s a big reason that our lethal left side punishes defences & allows AJ to score with ridiculous ease. We need to see that through the finals & Adams’ magical kicking game has to be at it’s very best to put pressure on the opposition & give us the vital field position required for our star backline to shine.

We definitely need Cookie to give his usual great service from dummy half but it’s vital that he runs the ball & keeps the big Panthers pack honest around the ruck.

If Damien can bust out a few of his darting bursts that we love so much then the flow on effect from that equates to more space on the edges for our attack.

Rookie Blake Taaffe played well last week & although there were a couple of forgettable moments he brings the ball back efficiently, can make a break & has the ability to set up tries like he’s done twice already in the limited game time he’s had.

We’ve interviewed Blake on our podcast, I know his dad Darren & uncle Brad so I am perhaps a bit biased but I really hope this kid can find some space out there on Saturday night & explode through a few holes to show everyone what he’s capable of. Blake has plenty of ability so don’t be surprised if you see him do some handy work for this team.

We need to have great line speed in defence to put pressure on Jarome Luai & especially Nathan Cleary. If we allow their Origin halfback to keep putting up those eye watering bombs it won’t end well & the we have to take care of & field the ones he does get up & away.

A huge defensive effort is essential against a team featuring metre monster Brian To’o, Crichton, Burton, Kikau etc.

Look for big games from our back three, Cameron, Keaon & Jaydn. Cameron will work himself to a standstill & take the line on. Keaon keeps getting better & is a post contact metre beast. Look out for more big shots from Jaydn like the one he put on Fletcher Baker 2 weeks ago.

We need to roll up the sleeves rip in, go out there & give it to these blokes. Let them know that the mighty Rabbitohs are in town.

The final pieces of the puzzle are the two bookends Junior & the Goat. Junior keeps producing up front & Nico has to be one of the most improved players I’ve ever seen.

Win the battle in the middle, complete at a high rate, have a good kicking game & let the backs finish them off.

If we do that then I’m confident we can win in that magnificent new Townsville stadium that we can’t attend anytime soon.

If we do get rolled then the next test will be an elimination game with either the beatable Eels or a Knights team that limped into the finals.

A fourth shot at a prelim is entirely possible & if Souths can get past that stage who knows what might happen, maybe even number 22.

Souths by 4

Steve Mavin

Source Rabbitohs Radio
 

Rabbits20

Immortal
Messages
41,606
I'm not sure what Su'A is doing in the lineup. The guy is an enigma and in three seasons he has only proven his total inconsistency. Also I would have played Burns put him on the flank and Alex at FB. Taaffe cannot play in this he is simply not ready for Iron Man's towering pressure punts. Burns is tall and has experience plus he grew up with Iron Man at "Riff so he knows him well.
Su’a is there to be the hitman and to put shots on. We need to get down and dirty so to speak ruff them up.... anyway Wayne might still start Arrow anyway.
 

Steenson123

Juniors
Messages
486
The squad selected by Bennett is surely a diversion. Mago and Burns should be in the playing group simply because both are match fit, have size and are in good form. Taaffe should not be there he looked dodgy against St George. I would have selected the following:
Alex
Burns
Gagai
Graham
Paulo
Walker
Alf R
Nicholls
Cook
Burgess
Arrow
Koloamatangi
Cam
Mago
Tatola
Host
Marshall
Arrow should be revved up all week. He is potentially a match winner considering he has played rep football for several years and has hungered for playoff success. If Arrow is any good at all this should be his opportunity to do it against a powerful, intimidating forward group. If Arrow dominated "Riff's pack it paves the way for Victory.
 

Steenson123

Juniors
Messages
486
Su’a is there to be the hitman and to put shots on. We need to get down and dirty so to speak ruff them up.... anyway Wayne might still start Arrow anyway.
Mago has been far more effective and consistent than Su'A. Mago's work rate has been high the past few games he has stood out. To have any hope against Cleary's gang we need forwards with no fear and a high WR. Su'A is far too erratic and goes missing under duress.
 

Stubby

Juniors
Messages
63
Marvellous Steve Mavin what a great talent I was at I think the sydney sports ground when the pass went behind The chook Martin Offiah, Steve swooped on the loose ball and hard as he tried the supposed fattest man in the game Offiah couldn’t catch him.
 

BotanyBorn&Bred

Juniors
Messages
1,896
Another year & another top 4 finish for the Rabbitohs which is quite a nice thing to say after the club spent so long in the wilderness.

Even more satisfying for me was that I won my bet I have every year with my mate the Roosters fan Con Parris.

Our long-standing wager is the team that finishes highest on the ladder out of the Bunnies & the Evil Empire wins a box of beer for the victor at the others expense.

I don’t remember the last time I collected & even in 2014 when we won the competition, I still had to cough up a slab because the latte sippers finished higher than us on the ladder. That was tough.

Last week the Dragons were terrible for the majority of the game & we saw a couple of youngsters put in eye catching performances in Pete Mamouzelos & Lachy Ilias who scored a try on debut. I thought Davvy Moale did well too & when you consider that he’s only 18 years old the future looks bright for our emerging talent.

We all know the story that the Rabbitohs have fallen at the last hurdle in 3 consecutive preliminary finals & this year missing one of our best players in Latrell doesn’t leave me filled with a whole lot of confidence that it won’t happen again.

Even at full strength the Bunnies were up against it. The Storm put 50 on us earlier in the year & the team they’ve picked this week has Harry Grant, Nicho Hynes & Nelson Asofa-Solomona on the bench!

The Panthers have beaten us twice & one of those was also a 50-point hammering.

In good news those last few points I made will be the last of the negativity that you will have to endure in this article.

I co-host Rabbitohs Radio & bleed red & green so let’s get to the good stuff.

We played sensational footy for the first 30 minutes to lead 12 nil against the Panthers in round 23 at Suncorp. We went on to concede 25 unanswered points but that was assisted by some nauseating officiating.

Points tend to flow on the back of an 11-2 penalty count so on an even playing field I believe we can beat them this time around up in Townsville.

Our bench is almost as impressive as the Storms & looks equally as good as the Panthers if not better.

The Panthers do have Tevita Pangai Junior & Liam Martin sitting on the pine but we have Jai Arrow, Benji, Jacob Host & big Tommy as our super subs.

The key to victory I believe lies in our spine & in particular in the hands of Cody Walker. We need him to rise to the occasion on the big stage & produce the type of playmaking that saw him set up a 1000 tries this year.

We need Cody to lead us all the way to the gf & take care of some unfinished business in the big games.

Captain Reyno has been tremendous all year, the way he digs into the line & straightens our attack is so valuable. It’s a big reason that our lethal left side punishes defences & allows AJ to score with ridiculous ease. We need to see that through the finals & Adams’ magical kicking game has to be at it’s very best to put pressure on the opposition & give us the vital field position required for our star backline to shine.

We definitely need Cookie to give his usual great service from dummy half but it’s vital that he runs the ball & keeps the big Panthers pack honest around the ruck.

If Damien can bust out a few of his darting bursts that we love so much then the flow on effect from that equates to more space on the edges for our attack.

Rookie Blake Taaffe played well last week & although there were a couple of forgettable moments he brings the ball back efficiently, can make a break & has the ability to set up tries like he’s done twice already in the limited game time he’s had.

We’ve interviewed Blake on our podcast, I know his dad Darren & uncle Brad so I am perhaps a bit biased but I really hope this kid can find some space out there on Saturday night & explode through a few holes to show everyone what he’s capable of. Blake has plenty of ability so don’t be surprised if you see him do some handy work for this team.

We need to have great line speed in defence to put pressure on Jarome Luai & especially Nathan Cleary. If we allow their Origin halfback to keep putting up those eye watering bombs it won’t end well & the we have to take care of & field the ones he does get up & away.

A huge defensive effort is essential against a team featuring metre monster Brian To’o, Crichton, Burton, Kikau etc.

Look for big games from our back three, Cameron, Keaon & Jaydn. Cameron will work himself to a standstill & take the line on. Keaon keeps getting better & is a post contact metre beast. Look out for more big shots from Jaydn like the one he put on Fletcher Baker 2 weeks ago.

We need to roll up the sleeves rip in, go out there & give it to these blokes. Let them know that the mighty Rabbitohs are in town.

The final pieces of the puzzle are the two bookends Junior & the Goat. Junior keeps producing up front & Nico has to be one of the most improved players I’ve ever seen.

Win the battle in the middle, complete at a high rate, have a good kicking game & let the backs finish them off.

If we do that then I’m confident we can win in that magnificent new Townsville stadium that we can’t attend anytime soon.

If we do get rolled then the next test will be an elimination game with either the beatable Eels or a Knights team that limped into the finals.

A fourth shot at a prelim is entirely possible & if Souths can get past that stage who knows what might happen, maybe even number 22.

Souths by 4

Steve Mavin

Source Rabbitohs Radio
I thought that was you, until I got to the end and saw it was Steve Mavin.

If Taafe's "uncle Brad" is who I think it is, that's my brother-in-law lol
 

handyman2190

Bench
Messages
3,386
Another year & another top 4 finish for the Rabbitohs which is quite a nice thing to say after the club spent so long in the wilderness.

Even more satisfying for me was that I won my bet I have every year with my mate the Roosters fan Con Parris.

Our long-standing wager is the team that finishes highest on the ladder out of the Bunnies & the Evil Empire wins a box of beer for the victor at the others expense.

I don’t remember the last time I collected & even in 2014 when we won the competition, I still had to cough up a slab because the latte sippers finished higher than us on the ladder. That was tough.

Last week the Dragons were terrible for the majority of the game & we saw a couple of youngsters put in eye catching performances in Pete Mamouzelos & Lachy Ilias who scored a try on debut. I thought Davvy Moale did well too & when you consider that he’s only 18 years old the future looks bright for our emerging talent.

We all know the story that the Rabbitohs have fallen at the last hurdle in 3 consecutive preliminary finals & this year missing one of our best players in Latrell doesn’t leave me filled with a whole lot of confidence that it won’t happen again.

Even at full strength the Bunnies were up against it. The Storm put 50 on us earlier in the year & the team they’ve picked this week has Harry Grant, Nicho Hynes & Nelson Asofa-Solomona on the bench!

The Panthers have beaten us twice & one of those was also a 50-point hammering.

In good news those last few points I made will be the last of the negativity that you will have to endure in this article.

I co-host Rabbitohs Radio & bleed red & green so let’s get to the good stuff.

We played sensational footy for the first 30 minutes to lead 12 nil against the Panthers in round 23 at Suncorp. We went on to concede 25 unanswered points but that was assisted by some nauseating officiating.

Points tend to flow on the back of an 11-2 penalty count so on an even playing field I believe we can beat them this time around up in Townsville.

Our bench is almost as impressive as the Storms & looks equally as good as the Panthers if not better.

The Panthers do have Tevita Pangai Junior & Liam Martin sitting on the pine but we have Jai Arrow, Benji, Jacob Host & big Tommy as our super subs.

The key to victory I believe lies in our spine & in particular in the hands of Cody Walker. We need him to rise to the occasion on the big stage & produce the type of playmaking that saw him set up a 1000 tries this year.

We need Cody to lead us all the way to the gf & take care of some unfinished business in the big games.

Captain Reyno has been tremendous all year, the way he digs into the line & straightens our attack is so valuable. It’s a big reason that our lethal left side punishes defences & allows AJ to score with ridiculous ease. We need to see that through the finals & Adams’ magical kicking game has to be at it’s very best to put pressure on the opposition & give us the vital field position required for our star backline to shine.

We definitely need Cookie to give his usual great service from dummy half but it’s vital that he runs the ball & keeps the big Panthers pack honest around the ruck.

If Damien can bust out a few of his darting bursts that we love so much then the flow on effect from that equates to more space on the edges for our attack.

Rookie Blake Taaffe played well last week & although there were a couple of forgettable moments he brings the ball back efficiently, can make a break & has the ability to set up tries like he’s done twice already in the limited game time he’s had.

We’ve interviewed Blake on our podcast, I know his dad Darren & uncle Brad so I am perhaps a bit biased but I really hope this kid can find some space out there on Saturday night & explode through a few holes to show everyone what he’s capable of. Blake has plenty of ability so don’t be surprised if you see him do some handy work for this team.

We need to have great line speed in defence to put pressure on Jarome Luai & especially Nathan Cleary. If we allow their Origin halfback to keep putting up those eye watering bombs it won’t end well & the we have to take care of & field the ones he does get up & away.

A huge defensive effort is essential against a team featuring metre monster Brian To’o, Crichton, Burton, Kikau etc.

Look for big games from our back three, Cameron, Keaon & Jaydn. Cameron will work himself to a standstill & take the line on. Keaon keeps getting better & is a post contact metre beast. Look out for more big shots from Jaydn like the one he put on Fletcher Baker 2 weeks ago.

We need to roll up the sleeves rip in, go out there & give it to these blokes. Let them know that the mighty Rabbitohs are in town.

The final pieces of the puzzle are the two bookends Junior & the Goat. Junior keeps producing up front & Nico has to be one of the most improved players I’ve ever seen.

Win the battle in the middle, complete at a high rate, have a good kicking game & let the backs finish them off.

If we do that then I’m confident we can win in that magnificent new Townsville stadium that we can’t attend anytime soon.

If we do get rolled then the next test will be an elimination game with either the beatable Eels or a Knights team that limped into the finals.

A fourth shot at a prelim is entirely possible & if Souths can get past that stage who knows what might happen, maybe even number 22.

Souths by 4

Steve Mavin

Source Rabbitohs Radio
I wouldnt be betting a slab for next year, everyone thinks we cant make the 8
 

Steenson123

Juniors
Messages
486
Gagai at FB and Burns into centre is far better than what Bennett has selected. No way can young Taaffe be lumbered at FB in this pressure contest. He's simply not ready. And go with Su'A out... Mago in. Mago will at least keep plugging away and trying. Cannot say ditto for Su'A who has been embarrassed by the powerful squads.
 

handyman2190

Bench
Messages
3,386
Gagai at FB and Burns into centre is far better than what Bennett has selected. No way can young Taaffe be lumbered at FB in this pressure contest. He's simply not ready. And go with Su'A out... Mago in. Mago will at least keep plugging away and trying. Cannot say ditto for Su'A who has been embarrassed by the powerful squads.
Agree gags centre burns in, but! Id have a chat to sua, will he,is he motivated to do a job, if he goes in and legally hurts them, id play him
 

BotanyBorn&Bred

Juniors
Messages
1,896
Gagai at FB and Burns into centre is far better than what Bennett has selected. No way can young Taaffe be lumbered at FB in this pressure contest. He's simply not ready. And go with Su'A out... Mago in. Mago will at least keep plugging away and trying. Cannot say ditto for Su'A who has been embarrassed by the powerful squads.
Look, I agree with you about Sua, I've been saying it all year and last year from the playoffs. But I can see what Wayne is trying to do, and hopefully Sua can do this job - to go out there and hurt the Chin, hurt him badly. That's all Sua has to do. Hopefully he gets the job done. Mago, while better and more consistent, is a pretty tame, mellow guy. We need someone to go out and instill fear into the Chin, and hurt him.

Burns is a reserve grader. He is very sub-standard. If I had to make a choice between an unknown quantity who has ability, or someone I know is not first grade standard, I'm going with the unknown - Blake Taafe.

Burns is not even signed beyond this season. That says it all to me about what the coaching staffing and recruitment think about Burns
 

BotanyBorn&Bred

Juniors
Messages
1,896
The other thing I'm gonna say about this game, is our pack better be fired up, ready for fireworks, and most importantly, ready to dish out pain and suffering.

Look at the PF last year. Look how fired up Penruff's pack was. There was one point, when they scored a try, I think it was their first to level the game at 6 all, Moses Leota, coming in to celebrate the try, dropped his shoulder right into the back of a Souths player, on his way to get to the Chin to celebrate, yelling his head off.

If that was our 2014 side, Sam or Ben Te'o or someone would have put one right on Leota's chin and knocked him out cold for charging into the back of a Souths player to celebrate. When I saw this, I knew we were in trouble, we weren't matching their intensity.

We need to be the aggressors and have that intensity to win - just don't be stupid and get sent off.
 

BotanyBorn&Bred

Juniors
Messages
1,896
I still say I wish Les was still playing for us. No-one dared try anything when he was on the field. Just his mere presence kept opposition players in line.
Roberts Fenech Boyle
Davidson Chisolm
Andrews

Yep.....memories.

Sua has to channel Les Davidson and Ben Te'o.

I will never forget Ben Te'o's performance against the Rorters in the 2014 semi. Down two tries early, Te'o comes in from the bench and rag-dolls Maloney, gives away a penalty, JWH comes in to be the big tuff man, Teo gives him shit laughing at him, then the next time the thug runs the ball - BAM! Crunched by Teo. Cordner next runs the ball - BAM! Those two were staggering around punch drunk after Te'o finished with them.

This is Jaydn Sua's job on Saturday.
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,609
A massive day of player media today!! Really enjoyed that. The boys seem confident,

"The boys can't wait to get out there" - Marshall: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/the-boys-cant-wait-to-get-out-there---marshall/

"I'm ready for the challenge" - Taaffe: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/blake-taaffe-media-qualifying-final/

"You can't let your foot off the throat" - Walker: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/cody-walker-media-qualifying-final/

"We're treating this game like it's a knockout" - Gagai: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/dane-gagai-media-qualifying-final/

"We're not going to focus to much on anyone but ourselves" - Murray: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/cameron-murray-media-qualifying-final/

Murray backs Bunnies middles to come out on top: https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/09/08/murray-backs-bunnies-middles-to-come-out-on-top/

"(Wayne) keeps us very calm and relaxed" - Cook: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/damien-cook-media-qualifying-final/

"We know it's going to be a tough game...that's what we're ready for" - Burgess: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/tom-burgess-media-qualifying-final/

"I'm looking forward to playing in my first Finals in a while" - Arrow: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2021/09/08/jai-arrow-media-qualifying-final/
 

Latest posts

Top