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Round 5 - Rabbitohs vs Titans: Saturday 13th June 3pm @Bankwest Stadium

Hellray

Juniors
Messages
463
James Roberts ruled out earlier today with Burns getting his spot back.
Su’a and Tatola need to prove fitness in tomorrow’s/this afternoons run
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,609

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,609
Well, once again it's finally that time of the week again. Game Day!! This is a big day for us in the context of our Season too I feel as it's not considered a 'must win' but I do see today's game as a 'don't lose,' so today is a very important day for us.

Many people would look at this game and think "easy win for Souths" but I certainly don't see it that way. As I said earlier in the week, there is no such thing as an easy game in the NRL and as we know anything can happen. The Tians are more than capable of surprising us if we're a little bit off. I think back to a game against the Gold Coast in 2014, I think it was around Round 17. We played them at home and everyone thought we'd win easily but the Titans caught us napping.

That is why it's so imprtant that we don't go into today complacent. The boys are going to have to be as fired up as ever and we simply have to be on. Hopefully the great effort we've seen over the past couple of weeks will still be there but we need to execute today. Hold the ball, complete well and build pressure. Sounds simple but the Titans will do their best to disrupt us.

I know we can do it today!! Fire up!!
 

handyman2190

Bench
Messages
3,386
Coaches Media - Round 5: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/12/wayne-bennett-media-round-five/

Rabbitohs rule Roberts out of Titans clash: https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/rabbit...ns-clash/2b348b5c-8ea2-4330-a5d8-d4e24785d6d9

Big relief to hear that Tatola and Su'a are good to go but I'm pretty disappointed Jimmy the Jet isn't. Was really looking forward to him making his return tomorrow but that won't be happening now. I'm wondering if maybe something else is up with him?
Could be because training was at a minimum dyring lockdown, when he started intensive training he agravated that Achilles tendon issue.
The way burns is playing roberts would even injured be better
 

Travitoh

First Grade
Messages
5,156
Only caught the second half and GC didn't make it easy. Points were already on the board though and the result never looked in doubt.
 

English Rose

Juniors
Messages
560
Good win. Did what was required. The one worry which I have noticed in the last few weeks though is that when our middle 3rd goes off (Tatola, Tom and Murray) we just seem to lose all momentum.
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,609
Yeehaaa!! How good does it feel to get back on track a bit and get back into the winners circle? Feels great that's for sure! We needed to put on a bit of a performance this afternoon and we did that, the result was never in doubt really. I was very happy with the way we just went about our business in a clinical display and never really let the Titans into it. There was a lot of good signs out there but I don't think we can get too carried away because (with respect) it was against the Titans.

Offensively, we were awesome today. As we all know, the execution hasn't been there these past couple of weeks but it certainly was in this one. It all started from our ability to dominate possession through a high completion rate, especially in that first half. We made minimal errors and I think completed at around 85%. Significantly, that is a lot different to how it has been the past couple of weeks and everything flowed off the back of that. That allowed the boys to gain a bit of momentum which saw us pour through the middle through the forwards and we had no problems making meters today. Off the back of that, we played patient Footy and built pressure which lead to points. As I said, the execution was a lot better and we scored some brilliant tries today. Slick, sweeping backline moves, classy kicks, and damaging short balls. The lads had it all today. It was just really pleasing to see the boys put on some great plays and see them get it right a number of times. So good to see stuff finally come together and we looked super dangerous. If anything, we maybe went into our shell a bit in the second half and maybe let the foot off the throat a bit so that's a work on but even then, I wouldn't say we attacked poorly, it was just solid.

The defence tonight was also pretty solid. We had the odd lapse but it was otherwise good. Admittedly, the Gold Coast were struggling in attack during that first half but we kind of made them play that way if that makes sense through some great pressure defence and they found it hard to crack us. The second half was particularly impressive as the Titans really lifted and threw a lot at us but (apart from Cartwright's try) we didn't budge and just kept turning them away. If anything, I think our defensive dicipline could have been better, we gave them a lot of piggy back penalties and six-again ruck infringements which we can't afford to do against the good teams. Otherwise a decent defensive performance.

Mitchell: Well, where do I start?! What a game from Latrell!! Easily his best since joining us as he continues (and hopefully will in the future) to improve. One line break, two line break assists, three try assists, eleven tackle breaks AND his first try in the Red and Green. What a night. He didn't have a massive amount of running meters but jeez he had a big impact on the game. You could just see he wanted to be involved from the start which was great. He was popping up everywhere in attack and had some absolute class touches, his second try assist for Gagai takes the cake, thought his first was great but that second one with dazzling footwork and then the pass was just incredible. Was awesome to see him get what is hopefully the first of many tries for us. Defensively, he was everywhere too. He covered the ball well at the back and made some really good decisions in our in goal area. All topped off by a fantasic interview at the end of the game in which I loved his attitude and some of the things he said. I'm just really proud of him, he's starting to scilence the haters and I really hope he continues to just get batter and better!

Gagai: A lot better today. He was far more involved and you could tell he just wanted to get his hands dirty and get stuck in, loved some of his runs coming out of our end. Gags had no issues with his hands thankfully and he put on two great finishes for two great tries. I liked his defensive game too, he didn't make any errors there and and he was safe under the high ball.

Graham: Not as outstanding today as he has been the past two games but that's not to say he was bad, he was still incredibly solid. All his runs were solid and he did a fair bit to help out the forwards. Made some great decisions in defence to shut down a number of the Gold Coast's attacking raids.

Burns: Not sure what to make of his game really as he did a lot right but also got some things wrong. Scored a nice try through some good hands and his running game wasn't bad all night. However, he did come up with an error and made a reall poor defensive effort for the Titans first try. He just planted his feet, came in too far and wasn't quick enough to react which saw Sami get on his outside and Burnsy was never able to recover. A poor effort there. So yea, I'm just not sure what to make of his game.

Johnston: Impressed me again tonight with a good, consistent display. Showed no fear with his hit ups, in particular his kick returns whixh were fantastic. I feel that he didn't have the best night under the high ball but it was great to see him bag a try off the back of a nice kick from Cody.

Walker: Speaking of, how good was it to have Cody back?! Our attack clicked into gear finally tonight and it's no fluke that it coincided with Walker's return. He really sparked us today with his great combos with those around him and his skill. He created plenty of opportunities for those around him and looked pretty damn dangerous. His return freed Reyno up quite significantly and it was great to see those two gel once again. Cody put in a great little touch for AJ's try which was probably the highlight of his game tonight.

Reynolds: Reyno was on tonight, especially with the boot. Cody seemed to really free him up. He hit all his long range kicks sweetly which put a lot of pressure on their back three and his short kicking was also on song as was his goal kicking. I liked his work with ball in hand and like Cody, his passing game created a lot of opportunites down that right side. Made a great decision to let Cody's grubber in the left-hand corner go past him for AJ to score, a selfless and smart play. The one bit of constructive criticism I have for him is about his defence. I lost count of how many times he was the only one rushing up out of the line which made two massive holes in our defensive line each time and we just can't do that against the top teams.

Tatola: Another really good, solid game from Junior. As always, just hard running, high energy, good post-contact meters and pretty good defensively. He seems to be getting fitter and fitter as he was full of energy in both stints this afternoon. Went very close to scoring a try and would have had a try assist too if he wasn't offside.

Cook: Awesome game from Cookie! I don't think he made as many tackles but I liked his attacking game a lot more. Less hesitation close to the line with better pass selection and quicker service, he brought the forwards onto the ball really well. A great running game tonight as well as he just pinned the ears back and ran. Almost poked through a few times. Very dangerous and this is perhaps the first time we've seen him really take advantage of the new rules.

Burgess: What a performance from Tommy! He just kept going and going all arvo in both his stints. His fitness has really improved this year and it's showing. He was a forward leader out there, eating the meters and fighting for every inch. Had a big impact through the middle and I really enjoyed his game.

Su'a: A bit more quiet tonight compared to last week. Still had some decent runs and was fine defensively but I wouldn't say he made a huge impact. Really silly shoulder charge there too, that was stupid and will no doubt see him miss a couple of weeks sadly.

Lowe: He wasn't really bad but I was diappointed with his game tonight. Two errors and didn't do a hell of a lot. I just feel that he's becoming a bit like Nicholls in the fact that he has no real 'oomph' in his runs and we saw that a lot today. Need more from him.

Murray: Brilliant again! A typical Cam performance! Just great running through that middle third, poking his nose through the line and finding a quick play-the-ball more often then not. He didn't stop the whole time he was on and he really lead the way. We've looked so much better since he's been at lock. What a player!

Knight: A better performance from Knighty and he had some really good impact off the bench with hard running. No errors too which was a big plus.

Mago: Big congrats on his club debut and he certainly didn't let anyone down. He did only have a few runs but they were all pretty strong. He can build off today's game, hopefully get more minutes and continue to improve.

Amone: Another impactful game from Tom. I'd still like to see him get more minutes but the minutes he did have were quality. He's just so strong man, I remeber one run he had in the first half around out 40 meter line, from a standing start he carried three defenders and still made around 8 post contact meters. Incredible really.

Sironen: Not a lot to say about Bayley as he didn't have a huge impact unfourtunately. Needs to get more involved when he's on.

So all in all, I'm pretty happy. This is the first time this year we've put in a close to complete performance and it was great to see a lot of stuff finally come together. However, with all due respect to the Titans, we can't get too carried away as they weren't that great either. We still have a lot to work on but today was a massive step in the right direction!
 

bunny hopped

Juniors
Messages
55
Didn't watch the game but listened to the second half on radio. Sounded like our first half was all attack and the second was a good shoulder workout. Good to get the win though. Glory Glory
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,609
Rabbitohs Take Down the Titans: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/13/rabbitohs-take-down-the-titans/

Round 5 Press Conference: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/13/wayne-speaks-after-the-win-over-titans/

Love that! Classic from Wayne!

By The Numbers Round 5: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/13/by-the-numbers-round-five/

Player of the Game - Round 5: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/14/player-of-the-game-round-five/

I voted for Latrell there.

‘Changed my attitude’ - Emotional Latrell reveals inspiration behind stunning show: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/9a3143af8755171d52a5a7321835eda6

If you didn't see this last night, it's a must watch. I'm absolutely loving his attitude at the moment and I hope he keeps it up because it's showing on the field.

South Sydney forward Jaydn Su'A in trouble for shoulder charge: https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/south-...r-charge/92e5fe04-653b-4d3d-9997-dcafea73e9c7
 

Hellray

Juniors
Messages
463
Be interesting to see the line up for next weeks game being that Sua most likely won’t be there.
Siro probably gets the nod with Koala back onto the bench.

Mitchell
Gagai
Graham
Roberts
Johnston
Walker
Reynolds
Tatola
Cook
Burgess
Lowe
Sironen
Murray

Knight
Amone
Mago
Koala
Nicholls
Burns
Allan
Dillon/Rodwell
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Watched the mini as I was out yesterday afternoon.
Looked pretty convincing even when we went in to a more defensive mode. It was only titans though so I will try to keep myself grounded.
Latrell is showing some promise and hopefully will be very comfortable in that position for 2021.
 

truthslayer

Juniors
Messages
331
Great game from Tom he's been great all year and this was a very solid perfomance. Mitchell was great also more so his positional play and defence. Murray and Sua very good also. Lowe a couple of mistakes and Burns wanting in defence again but ran strong. Campbell graham solid but when he rushes up from defence line must get his target. Reynolds was spot on with his goal kicking and good involvement. Hopefully, the side will keep improving.
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,609
"It's great to be out there, having some fun" - Tatola: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/14/junior-tatola-media-round-five/

"I'm enjoying my time in the centres" - Graham: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/14/campbell-graham-round-five-media/

Rehab Report - Round 5: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/06/14/rehab-report-round-five/

Walker predicts plenty more 'wow' moments from Latrell: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/06/14/walker-predicts-plenty-more-wow-moments-from-latrell/

'I have let people down' - Walker keen to make amends for Souths: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/i-have...o-make-amends-for-souths-20200614-p552fr.html

From Sporting News,

NRL legends praise Cody Walker after Rabbitohs win

Latrell Mitchell was the star for the Rabbitohs on Saturday afternoon, but the return of Cody Walker offered Wayne Bennett's side a huge boost in their 32-12 win over the Titans at Bankwest Stadium.

After serving a two-match suspension for his role in a streetfight late last year, Walker was a huge inclusion for a Bunnies outfit coming off the back of two consecutive defeats.

The 30-year-old chimed in with a try assist and five tackle breaks during the five try to two win.

And while Mitchell, who played his best game in the number one jersey for Souths, was being praised for his try-scoring performance, Walker's role can't be understated.

"I thought Cody Walker made a huge difference for this Souths side," Peter Sterling said on the Sunday Footy Show.

"He raced 40m to go down a short side, nearly put the winger away and then came back to put the kick in.

"When you haven't got a running halfback - I don't consider Adam Reynolds as a running halfback - in today's game you need to have a six who is prepared to do that.

"Cody complements that."

New South Wales coach, Brad Fittler - who gave Walker an Origin start last year - agreed, saying the five-eighth offers leadership.

"(He's) someone that the team need," he said.

"He's out there on the fifth tackle going 'I'm needed here, my job is not leaving it to someone else.'"

Starting prop Junior Tatola, who ran for 132 metres against the Titans, said Walker's onfield communication was a huge positive on Saturday afternoon.

"Having Cody back was a big boost for us, he brings a lot to the team," he said.

"Happy that he's back and can't wait to play a few more games with him this year and string together a few more wins as well.

"His chat, it's pretty loud and he just tells everyone where to go and what to do.

"It's a big part for us and the team. It helps everyone out when he's talking a lot and playing well and communicating well with the boys."

With two wins and three losses so far in 2020, the Rabbitohs currently sit 10th on the NRL ladder and play the 11th placed Warriors on Friday.
 

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