Round 6 v Melbourne, ANZ, Sat 13/4 7:30pm

[Newcastlerabbit]

Sitting pretty but Souths still can't get satisfaction
Date
April 11, 2013

Daniel Lane


"We're always looking on improving week-to-week": Ben Te'o. Photo: Getty Images
Back-rower Ben Te'o believes the Rabbitohs still have not enjoyed a ''satisfying'' victory despite sharing top spot on the premiership ladder with Saturday's opponents, premiers Melbourne.

The Queensland forward said while he and his teammates had started their season with a good win over the Sydney Roosters, their collective form had been a roller-coaster ride ever since. ''It's been up and down,'' he said of the club's best start to a season since 1971, when Souths won their last premiership. ''We got off to a good start versus the Roosters but we haven't had a satisfying win since then. We've had some wins but not an 80-minute performance.

''To win is great, but there's some high standards here. We're always looking on improving week-to-week but we haven't had that game where we've won and all been very happy with our performance … we've let teams back in or fell behind and just scraped in.''

Te'o said Souths had suffered for some lapses in concentration and for not working off the same page, but he took some comfort in knowing the season was only into its sixth week and there was time to improve upon the foundations that had been set.

''As the season goes on, we'd hope to say we keep improving and knocking out those little lapses,'' he said. ''It's been a good challenge for me to come down here. I have a role in this team. I don't really try to go outside of it, I have a role in this team in defence and attack.''

Te'o said the club had the confidence to fight back when on the ropes, as was the case against the Warriors last Sunday. ''We were pretty calm,'' he said. ''We've got a lot of confidence in the fact where we know we can make those points back. You don't want to be leaking them in the first place but we're pretty calm under the posts, not too much yelling; just concentrating on what we're doing next.''

Souths prop Sam Burgess reiterated Te'o's views, saying the performance in Auckland made the players realise they needed to focus on their preparation and performance against the Storm.

He said the Storm were a ''great'' and ''clinical'' outfit and represented their biggest test.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...atisfaction-20130410-2hlsr.html#ixzz2Q6eggnjC

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...n-saturday-night/story-e6frexqr-1226617670821

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news-display/Midweek-Media--Michael-Maguire--Round-Six-2013/72178

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

http://www.nrl.com/high-standards-drive-the-bunnies/tabid/10959/contentid/534048/default.aspx

 

[Big Sam]

How the hell are we favourites for this? They're on a 12 game winning streak.

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

How the hell are we favourites for this? They're on a 12 game winning streak.

I wont hold the NSW responsible for this,cause they dont pick players with form.

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Winning style fires Rabbitohs' title hopes
Date
April 12, 2013

Sydney

Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire. Photo: Getty Images
South Sydney coach Michael Maguire believes the Rabbitohs' get-out-of-jail win over the Warriors was a huge step towards becoming a genuine NRL premiership contender.

Maguire's side faces premier Melbourne Storm on Saturday in a battle between the competition's only two unbeaten teams.

South Sydney's five successive victories is the club's best start to a season since 1971 when it won the last of its 20 premierships. But it so nearly ended in defeat in Auckland last Sunday as the Rabbitohs held off a ferocious assault late in the game to win 24-22 after rallying to reclaim the lead.

Maguire said working out ways to win games when not at their best was something his side had learnt to do. ''The boys are certainly fighting right towards the end of the game and that allows you to get something out of them,'' Maguire said on Thursday.

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''Teams are going to come back at you and it's about counteracting against it. The way we have climbed through this pre-season the players understand their roles better than last year and when the pressure comes during a game they are better at dealing with it.''

Maguire worked as Craig Bellamy's assistant at Melbourne before switching to Wigan in 2010, and he said he was not at all surprised his former club was unbeaten.

The Storm's punishing schedule has included winning the World Club Challenge in England, then backing up from success over North Queensland in Townsville with victory over 2012 grand finalist Canterbury five days later.

''Melbourne have done it for a long time,'' Maguire said. ''They have gone through these types of games for five or six years and always find a way to lift.

''They've had some changes, but the core of the team is still the same. They are the best side at working out a way to win in adversity.''

The city origin side will be announced on Sunday and in-form winger Nathan Merritt is certain to be named in coach Brad Fittler's side. Maguire said if his former Canberra teammate Laurie Daley came knocking on his door to 1nquire about Merritt's inclusion for NSW he would have no hesitation in backing the 29-year-old.

''If Laurie asks me if he should pick him I would say yes,'' Maguire said. ''The try he scored at the weekend against the Warriors was another reflection of how well he is going.''

AAP



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...title-hopes-20130411-2hod3.html#ixzz2QCNFCiuj

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Heavyweight battle has Jesse Bromwich ready to tackle Rabbitohs pack
Russel Gould
Herald Sun
April 12, 2013 12:00AM

BIGGER and fitter this season, Melbourne Storm prop Jesse Bromwich is primed for another front-on battle with the NRL's most daunting pack tomorrow.

Bromwich and his prop partners will face 236kg of South Sydney's Burgess brothers, Sam and George, plus former Kiwis captain Roy Asotasi and ex-Storm wrecking ball Jeff Lima.

But having dealt with North Queensland bookends Matt Scott and James Tamou, who also form Australia's front-row, and potential Test bolter Aaron Woods last weekend, Bromwich said he was ready for this week's challenge.

"It's been pretty good this year," Bromwich said. "I haven't been getting as nervous as I used to coming up against all the other big front-rowers.

"I am keen to test myself against all these good forward packs. Souths are right up there along with the Bulldogs and the Roosters . . . and I like testing myself against them."

Bromwich, who has increased his time on field and bulked up to 114kg, said he was feeling "a bit stronger" and happy with his performance this year ahead of Kiwis selections for the Test at Canberra next week.

"But we are always looking to improve," he said.

South Sydney must overcome its worst record against any NRL opponent, having only won three times in 20 clashes with Melbourne and just one of the past 13.


Melbourne big bopper Jesse Bromwich knows he is in for a bruising encounter against the Rabbitohs.

But after scoring a 68th-minute try to secure a come-from-behind win over the Warriors in Auckland last week, Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire saw enough signs to suggest his team had developed the mentality to win anywhere, anytime and against any opposition -- including Melbourne.

"The boys are certainly fighting right towards the end of the game and that allows you to get something out of them," Maguire said.

"Teams are going to come back at you and it's about counteracting it.

"The way we have climbed through this pre-season the players understand their roles better than last year and when the pressure comes during a game they are better at dealing with it."

After Storm's final training at AAMI Park this morning, coach Craig Bellamy will decide whether Billy Slater's injured foot has recovered enough for him to play.



NRL ROUND 6 RABBITOHS v STORM ANZ STADIUM, TOMORROW, 7.30PM WATCH LIVE ON FOX SPORTS

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...e-rabbitohs-pack/story-e6frexs0-1226618664397

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Souths, Storm in contrasting dominance
By Steve Jancetic
AAP
Fri 12th April, 1:45pm


Together they are the NRL's most dominant forces, but the manner in which Melbourne and South Sydney use similar strengths to conquer their opponents are vastly different.

Both have brilliant fullbacks, both have dominant halfbacks and the point of the attack is controlled from the outset by hookers who terrorise defenders.

But despite ranking in the top two for points and tries scored, the reliance on a brilliant spine is where the similarities end for the league's only remaining unbeaten teams - who meet in a blockbuster match-up on Saturday night.

The Storm, who have not lost a meaningful contest since July last year, are the best in the business when it comes to seizing an opportunity.

Theirs is not a death by a thousand cuts, but rather an ability to cut deep when they do strike.

Their total metres gained over the opening five rounds (6727m) ranks eighth in the competition, their same ranking as offloads (43) which generally trigger second phase attack.

They don't get an overabundance of penalties (8th, 33) to give them a leg up, while the absence of power runners leaves them 11th for tackle-breaks.

Rather, the Storm rely on the sleight of hand of their brilliant spine to bamboozle defences, with Slater's speed generally turning any half break into points on the scoreboard.

Despite their lack of tackle-breaks and offloads, the Storm are still second for line-breaks and line-break assists, so when they generally do make a incisive run, it's without a hand being laid on them.

When you have Slater on the back of that, it generally means points.

The Bunnies are more traditional in their reliance on big athletic runners like Greg Inglis, John Sutton and Sam Burgess to bust through the line, with their 166 tackle-breaks best in the league - and a whopping 54 more than what the Storm have produced.

Inglis is central to that method of attack, with his multi-faceted ability to beat you with his sheer size and power, speed or playmaking skills making him a nightmare for defences.

Their dominant pack has run for the third-most metres over the opening five rounds (7121m), laying a great platform for the halfback Adam Reynolds to generate repeat sets with his deft kicking game.

That means the Rabbitohs have more time with the ball in hand than defending their own line, with their 1453 tackles made the second least behind Canterbury.

http://www.nrl.com/souths,-storm-in-contrasting-dominance/tabid/10874/newsid/71694/default.aspx

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

NRL and NYC Previews - Rabbitohs vs Storm - Round Six, 2013
Words: Patrick Brady I Photos: nrlphotos.com
Friday 12 April 2013 1:22 PM

Rabbitohs (2nd) vs Storm (1st)
Saturday April 13, 7:30pm kickoff – ANZ Stadium
Official Twitter hashtags - #NRLSouMel #gorabbitohs
Men of League Heritage Round. Junior appreciation Round.
What a clash this will be! First meets second and there are fascinating matchups galore in what should be a brilliant Heritage Round.
The Rabbitohs survived a big scare in a tough road trip to New Zealand in round five, securing their first win across the Tasman since 2009. Similarly, the Storm were pushed by the Tigers for the majority of their round five fixture before running out 14 point winners over a desperate Tigers outfit.
There is concern for the Storm that fullback Billy Slater will miss the game with a foot injury and if so, he’s a big loss for Melbourne.
The Rabbitohs retain the same side that beat the Warriors with Michael Crocker still unable to force his way back into the 17.
Recent History
The Rabbitohs have a dismal record against the Storm, recording just three wins over their 20 match history, with all three wins coming at home (including the Perth fixture in 2010). In fact, the Rabbitohs 15% winning percentage is their worst against any side past or present, apart from the Adelaide Rams who recorded a 34-18 victory over South Sydney in their only encounter.
The Storm have won nine of the last ten meetings, mostly in emphatic fashion, outscoring the Rabbitohs 219 to 108. In that time, the Rabbitohs highest score is 22 with a meagre average of 10.8.
In the last meeting between the sides the Rabbitohs appeared in their first final since 2007, taking on the Storm in week one of the finals at AAMI Park, but celebrations were cut short when the Storm raced out to an 18-0 halftime lead. The Rabbitohs fought hard in the second half but were only able to score one try through Eddy Pettybourne and went down 24-6.
The Storm’s line defence was outstanding, led by Cameron Smith’s 49 tackles. They conceded just the one try despite missing 31 tackles compared to the Rabbitohs 24, and conceding 12 offloads to three. Interestingly, halfback Cooper Cronk was kept fairly quiet with ball in hand although he absolutely dominated off the boot, kicking 19 times for an amazing 714 metres.
For the Rabbitohs, Greg Inglis was forced to work extremely hard with Cronk's kicks pinning him deep in the half but he still managed to run 18 times for 203 metres. Sam Burgess was also tireless running 150 metres and making 36 tackles in his seventy minutes.
Keys to Victory
How do you limit the influence of the big three, Slater, Cronk and Smith? Quite simply, if you give them room to move they will carve you up.
How do you do that? You beat them up forward.
The Tigers' forwards were excellent for most of the game and gave the big three little room to move but as soon as they took the foot off the gas they were soundly beaten.
The Tigers probably outplayed the Storm for 60 minutes on Monday night but the Storm did what all good sides do and hung in there. All they needed was a small sniff in the last 20 minutes and the Storm blew them away. The 14 point margin flattered Melbourne but that’s what happens if you don’t compete with them for 80 minutes.
Of concern to Michael Maguire will be that the Rabbitohs have probably put in two ‘close to’ 80 minutes performances in their five games thus far. What may please him is that they were big games in front of big crowds (Bulldogs and Roosters) and games won’t come much bigger than a top of the table clash against the Storm.
In saying that, the Rabbitohs will need to lift, and they certainly have the game-breakers to do so. With real grunt all over the park, Maguire will be hoping that his forwards especially will be able to dominate Melbourne and provide a good platform for his halves to create chances.
Issac Luke will be another beneficiary should his forwards get on top. He’s yet to dominate a side out of dummy half this year, playing a much more controlled style than in 2012. He’s yet to break 100 metres running from dummy half this season, averaging 66 metres per game. In 2012 he averaged 100 metres per game.
Key Matchups
Billy Slater vs Greg Inglis
Probably the most powerful fullback in history comes up against one of the most prolific try scorers. Slater’s work off Smith and Cronk is exceptional and he’s proven himself to be one of the game’s premiere players. Inglis is still improving as a fullback which is a scary prospect.

http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news-di...ews--Rabbitohs-vs-Storm--Round-Six-2013/72286

 

[Zinga]

Cant wait to get out there today, Go the Bunnies!!

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Storm edge Rabbitohs 17-10 at ANZ Stadium
James Hooper
News Limited Network
April 13, 2013 9:29PM

Kevin Proctor celebrates after scoring the opening try for the Storm. Picture: Mark Evans Source: The Daily Telegraph

BILLY Slater was sin-binned in a frantic final five minutes as South Sydney gave champions Melbourne Storm a tough ride to victory Saturday night.

Come big plays in big games, nobody does it better than ice-cool Melbourne Storm halfback Cooper Cronk.

Aside from laying on the opening two tries, Cronk slotted a field goal with three minutes remaining to put the icing on another clinical disposal of the Bunnies.

But with Souths intent on living up to the hype of their best start to a season since 1971, they rolled the dice and sent Nathan Merritt flying down their left edge.

With Slater to beat, Merritt put in a grubber kick only for the Melbourne fullback to tackle him without the ball.

Slater was sin-binned for a professional foul, South Sydney got the penalty but the Storm hung on to seal a cracking victory.

Trailing 12-0, Souths needed a lift. Enter Adam Reynolds and Greg Inglis, who spectacularly combined with a cross-field kick and catch to reduce the deficit to 12-6.

But just as the Bunnies appeared to have hit the game-on button, an error allowed premiers Melbourne to again assume control.


George Burgess makes a charge for the Rabbitohs against the Storm at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Mark Evans

Storm five-eighth Gareth Widdop went powering down a short side from close range and caught Beau Champion and Reynolds napping.

They try made it 16-6 and the Storm were back in the zone, leading from the front.

The Bunnies looked beaten until Reynolds rolled the dice on a chip-and-chase play and hit the jackpot, with Andrew Everingham eventually scoring three plays later.

Reynolds threw the final pass, showing wonderful composure for a halfback in his second season.

For the opening half of the heavyweight title fight, as much as the challengers were trying to match it with the champions, it was the Melbourne Storm who dominated.

MATCH CENTRE: Rabbitohs v Storm, video highlights and game stats

Call it the perfect storm. It seems a term over-used in rugby league, but for the first 40 minutes they were flawless.
Souths showed glimpses of being worthy contenders for the title. There was John Sutton's ball-and-all tackle on Kevin Proctor close to the line in the 13th minute.

There were cool heads under pressure as the Storm ramped up the heat with three repeat sets on their tryline.

There was Greg Inglis' risky bat-back play into his own in-goal to deny Cronk a booming 40/20 kick in the 16th minute.

But the Storm are the best when it comes to applying the blow torch repeatedly. The Rabbitohs were forced to defend five repeat sets midway through the opening half.

Eventually, Souths cracked.

Melbourne halfback Cronk was the chief architect, double-pumping a pass that left Sutton guessing and sent Ryan Hinchcliffe into a half a gap.

The Storm lock powered through before finding Kevin Proctor. He put a fend on Inglis for the opening try. Cameron Smith converted and Melbourne led 6-0.

The Bunnies were still up for the fight, but the tackle count was starting to tell.

By the time halftime arrived, Melbourne had only made 132 tackles to the Rabbitohs' 164.

Five minutes before halftime, Souths had their turn to land a decisive blow, but instead of a smooth combination they lacked execution.

Then right on halftime, like only champion teams can, the Storm seized on a mistake from South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt.

He spilled his lollies bringing the ball back out of his own end, and it might as well have been a red-carpet invitation for Melbourne.

Cronk struck immediately, putting in a perfectly-weighted chip kick for winger Mahe Fonua to swoop for a try. Cameron Smith nailed the sideline conversion and it was 12-0.






MELBOURNE 17 (M Fonua K Proctor G Widdop tries C Smith 2 goals C Cronk field goal) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 10 (A Everingham G Inglis tries A Reynolds goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 32,671.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...0-at-anz-stadium/story-e6frexs0-1226619883868

 

[hugzy]

Sick game, I srsly thought I was watching origin... And qld won again

Also Reynolds played well, but if he was wearing a blue jumper he wouldve gotten slaughtered by the media

 

[Mustard Keppers]

Very disappointed at points but when the final whistle blew I couldn't help but be optimistic about how far we e come an how close we are to the best the in the league. We've got a ton of improvement on our execution and I don't know how much better storm could have played.

Reynolds had some poor kicks but he was the best in red and green on the field by the end. This kid is seriously special and the real deal. The burgesses and ben Lowe were the next best.

We're going to win against the storm next time round. Mark my words.

 

[AceAv]

Damn I really wanted yous to win this. -those two merit tries that we're stopped! Now it's up to manly to beat storm, can't see many other teams doing it...

 

[Evenflow]

We've got a ton of improvement on our execution and I don't know how much better storm could have played.

Mate i reckon the rabbits were very valiant in their effort tonight and while i think they've got improvement in them you're seriously kidding yourself if you think the Storm havent got plenty
Of improvement in them as well. We played well and probably our best game of the season but still way off the capabilities.

We'veWe're going to win against the storm next time round. Mark my words.

You might beat us next time but you're gonna have to do it at AAMI and more than likely it won't mean anything either way no matter what the result. More importantly i think it's highly likely we're going to meet in the finals at some stage and i wouldn't be at all surprised if its in the GF. If that's the case I'm sure we'll see a better Souths side and a better Storm side than we saw tonight so i reckon should it end up that way it'll be a cracker.

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Souths powerless to stop Storm juggernaut
Date
April 13, 2013 - 9:38PM

Michael Carayannis


These are the questions South Sydney coach Michael Maguire and 14 other NRL clubs were left to ponder after Melbourne became just the eighth team to win 14 consecutive matches when they defeated South Sydney 17-10 at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.


Big game: Greg Inglis of the Rabbitohs. Photo: Getty Images
The Bunnies made just two errors in the opening 60 minutes but on each occasion the Storm made them pay, in tries, in the clash of the only two undefeated teams.

Cronk was at his best as he returned to ANZ Stadium for the first time since claiming the Clive Churchill Medal after leading his Melbourne team to a grand final win against Canterbury last year.

The defending premiers struck the first blow after a landslide of possession in the opening half in front of 32,671 fans. Largely thanks to the pin-point accuracy of Cronk's boot, the Storm forced five goal-line drop-outs in the opening 22 minutes, with the final repeat set eventually turning into points when back-rower Kevin Proctor, in his first starting match of the season, fended off Greg Inglis to score in the 23rd minute.


Ryan Hinchcliffe of the Storm gets a pass away. Photo: Getty Images
It was a tidy piece of Storm structure that left South Sydney five-eighth John Sutton isolated against a charging Ryan Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe, running on the inside shoulder of Sutton, was allowed to offload to Proctor, who gave Inglis an Inglis-like fend to score.

The Kiwi international had gone close to scoring earlier, only for a last-ditch effort from Sutton to halt Proctor from crossing.

While the Storm dominated with a 54 per cent possession rate in the first half, South Sydney weren't without their chances late in the opening stanza. An enterprising zero-tackle kick from halfback Adam Renyolds almost brought about the home team's first points only for Mahe Fonua's arm to come in between a diving Andrew Everingham to stop the flying winger from scoring.

From that drop-out, former Storm centre Beau Champion, who caused havoc on Melbourne's left defensive edge, was stopped by a last-ditch effort from Gareth Widdop.

South Sydney were again denied the very next tackle when Billy Slater matched Widdop's effort when he pulled down a leaping Nathan Merritt to deny the Bunnies winger a try.

It was a forgettable period before half-time for Merritt after he made his team's first handling error of the game coming out of his own end. He then watched on as Fonua scored on the opposite wing from a Cronk kick to give the Storm a 12-0 lead at half-time.

A George Burgess-inspired opening second-half blitz kept his team in contention. While Melbourne started the second half strongly, it was a covering tackle from the younger Burgess that stopped Widdop from opening the scoring in the second half.

A couple of strong carries from Burgess in the ensuing set allowed South Sydney to march up the field with Inglis capitalising on a cross-field kick from Reynolds to have the Rabbitohs six behind after 48 minutes.

Just when it looked like South Sydney were slowly getting back into the game, the Storm struck – again. This time it was some fleet-footed work on a skinny blindside by Widdop that left several South Sydney defenders in his wake to give the defending premiers a 16-6 lead.

While the Storm made South Sydney pay for their mistakes, the Bunnies couldn't return serve.

They had a golden opportunity to push for points when Fonua spilt an uncontested bomb, forcing a goal-line drop-out – only for Sam Burgess to drop the ball after heavy contact from Storm prop Bryan Norrie before a tackled was registered.

Everingham scored the final try on the back off a cut-out pass from Reynolds with seven minutes remaining before Cronk kicked a field goal to give his team an unbeatable seven-point advantage on the back of another South Sydney error.

The Storm finished the match without Siosaia Vave after the interchange forward left the field midway through the first half with a calf strain.

MELBOURNE 17 (M Fonua K Proctor G Widdop tries C Smith 2 goals C Cronk field goal) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 10 (A Everingham G Inglis tries A Reynolds goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 32,671.



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...-juggernaut-20130413-2hsri.html#ixzz2QNGgLAaa

 

[Ziggy the God]

Mate i reckon the rabbits were very valiant in their effort tonight and while i think they've got improvement in them you're seriously kidding yourself if you think the Storm havent got plenty
Of improvement in them as well. We played well and probably our best game of the season but still way off the capabilities.



You might beat us next time but you're gonna have to do it at AAMI and more than likely it won't mean anything either way no matter what the result. More importantly i think it's highly likely we're going to meet in the finals at some stage and i wouldn't be at all surprised if its in the GF. If that's the case I'm sure we'll see a better Souths side and a better Storm side than we saw tonight so i reckon should it end up that way it'll be a cracker.

Well said, it was a great game, and your boys again showed everyone how tough they are to beat.

I hope you enjoyed the trip up here, we even managed to rustle up a decent crowd for your visit. ;-)

 

[Zinga]

What a great game, thought the Merrit mistake just before halftime which lead to them scoring a try was a killer blow. As much as im disapointed I think we tryed our hearts out and have taken our game to another level. One thing I will say though is that if Izac is going to play a more structured hooking role and play 80mins why do we have Peats on the bench as a back up hooker with no game time? Wouldnt it be better to have another running forward in Clarke, Crocker or even big Tom Burgess for 10mins or so?

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news-display/Post-Match-Reaction--John-Sutton--Round-Six-2013/72418

http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news-display/Michael-Maguire-Post-Game-Reaction--Round-6/72384