The South Sydney Rabbitohs, who are fighting tooth and nail to qualify for September with a premiership roster that most other clubs can only dream of, have swiftly emerged as the season’s biggest story.
Latrell Mitchell is one of rugby league’s most amazing game-breaking players when he’s at his best, but since returning from a calf injury suffered during the NSW State of Origin camp, Latrell has sadly performed below par for South Sydney.
The legions of South Sydney members and supporters were enraged by Mitchell’s brain-exploding elbow on Newcastle forward Tyson Frizell, which put them at risk of missing the round 27 derby against the Sydney Roosters, their bitterest rivals.
When Latrell returned from injury a month ago, we predicted that the Bunnies would contend with the Panthers and Broncos for the championship.
This is not the first time that comment hasn’t held up over time.
The picture of Latrell shotgunning a beer can while performing with country music rock star Luke Combs last Wednesday night has also not aged well.
We love Mitchell, Combs, and a cold beer on a hot day, but this isn’t the kind of image you want from a South Sydney leader this close to the championship.
We know players at the powerful NRL clubs who would have called it out and blown up about this.
The Newcastle Knights kept up their incredible late-season play.
Even though the Knights had a strong left edge, the Rabbitohs’ failure to get into gear so close to September was the story of round 25.
The Sydney Roosters, the Rabbitohs’ archenemy and foundation rivals, will probably have a chance to end the red and green season one week before the finals. This is the reality the team must now deal with.
For the past month, there have been rumors circulating from Heffron Park regarding South Sydney’s inability to train hard enough to develop the steely edge necessary to mount a legitimate premiership run.
Coach Jason Demetriou has a serious problem because, despite his stellar performance thus far, the Bunnies have only won four of their previous five games.
Coach Demetriou of the Rabbitohs must make some difficult choices with the season on the line and probably without Mitchell, the team’s biggest player.
Blake Taaffe will therefore start at fullback as a result.
As the South Sydney coach’s team battles the Roosters to stay alive, he must also make some crucial decisions regarding position.As the South Sydney coach’s team battles the Roosters to stay alive, he must also make some crucial decisions regarding position.
Although Lachlan Ilias, the halfback, is undoubtedly talented, he is currently out of form and may be on the verge of being dropped for the NSW Cup.
However, it would be entirely unjust to blame Ilias for every issue facing South Sydney. As talented as he was in Origin III forNSW, senior playmaker Cody Walker has also struggled for.
