NRL Round 2: A Preview (of sorts) – RITV goes down the Burrow named Memory Lane

Last weekend, a long weekend in this part of the world for the Adelaide Cup, Mrs Hansen and I spent a couple of great days at the beautiful town of Robe.

Highly recommended. Magic spot.

Eight hours of driving from the Barossa to Robe, return, meant many podcasts were consumed, including several of Zan Rowe’s (Double J) “Take 5”. Guy Pearce was a fascinating listen.

 Tonight (Souths travel to the Cauldron to play the other team on zero points after the Las Vegas extravaganza, the Broncos.

Las Vegas to Brisvegas.

To take a leaf out of Zan’s book, here are five memorable Souths-Broncos games I attended whilst a Brisvegas-Southeast Queensland resident.

 

1989 Round 15: Phil Blake magic

On the way to the 1989 minor premiership, Souths had a great win at the ‘old’ Lang Park, pre the 2003 rugby world cup spruce up. I remember sitting high up in the old Caxton Street grandstand, named after Ron McAuliffe, having travelled down from Clydesdale territory, Toowoomba.

It was a Sunday 3.00pm kick off, so we were squinting into the afternoon sun.

We loved what we saw!

The mercurial Phil Blake had a day out, scoring a double in the 20-8 win.

Phil Blake – double chip and chase try v Broncos (4) Video | Facebook

The respective coaches: two giant figures in the game, Broncos: Mr Wayne Bennett, Souths: Mr George Piggins.

Ten years on, after Souths were unlawfully removed from the competition for the 2000 season, George, along with Nick Pappas, Ray Martin, John Sattler, Mike Whitney, Anthony Albanese,and many others, would lead the fight for Souths’ reinstatement into the NRL for the 2002 season.

South Sydney’s points: Tries – Blake 2, O’Neill. Goals – Ellison 4/5, Djura 0/1

Souths Sydney’s team: Bronko Djura, Steve Mavin, Paul Roberts, Darryl Neville, Ross Harrington, Phil Blake, Craig Coleman, Mark Lyons, Jim Sedaris, David Boyle, Les Davidson, Wayne Chisholm, Michael Andrews. Reserves: Mark Ellison, Adam O’Neill, Rick Stone, Darren Maroon

 

Round 19, 2009: Beau Champion hat trick

Beau Champion, surely one of the greatest names of any athlete, full stop! Beau had a very good career at Souths before making way for Greg Inglis to join the club. The signing Rabbitohs boss at the time, now Wests Tigers interim CEO, Shane Richardson, described as the last piece in the premiership jigsaw.

Beau, a relative of Greg’s, joined the Melbourne Storm to make room for GI in the salary cap.

I recall dancing in the aisles with my great friend Rob Bush as Souths piled on the points that night.

What an atmosphere, with just over 50,000 in the house.

South Sydney’s points:  tries – Champion 3, Merritt 2, Pettybourne, Talanoa, Tyrrell. Goals – Sandow 5/7, Luke 1/2

South Sydney’s team: Nathan Merritt, Jamie Simpson, Colin Best, Beau Champion, Fetuli Tanaloa, John Sutton, Chris Sandow, Luke Stuart, Isaac Luke, Roy Asotasi, Ben Lowe, Eddy Pettybourne, David Fa’alogo. Reserves: Craig Wing, Shannon McPherson, Scott Geddes, Dave Tyrrell.

Footnote: this game is also ‘famous’ for this incident with the referee:

Ref Knockout 2009 Broncos v Rabbitohs (youtube.com)

 

ANZAC DAY 2014: Inglis being Inglis, AJ scores on debut.

In 2014, the Michael Maguire era at Souths was in full swing. Ben Te’o, a former Broncos player, was a key man in the march towards premiership twenty-one. Lote Tuqiri had joined the club from European (Irish) rugby. Inglis at fullback, Keary and Reynolds in the halves, Isaac Luke at hooker. ‘Madge’ Maguire had lined up all his ducks and, after 2012-2013 near misses, the South Sydney faithful dared to dream.

Some years later, at a lunch at the magnificent Spotted Cow Hotel in Toowoomba Clydesdale territory, Sam Burgess recalled how both he and John Sutton sat the team down after the loss to Canberra in ound four. The theme of the meeting: ‘let’s do this, let’s sacrifice (read – get off the drink), let’s win this comp.’

Souths played the Broncos on Anzac Day, a Friday night game, the usual time slot for the Brisbane side, Channel 9 loved the ratings.

Inglis scored one of the most memorable tries in NRL history, a spectacular 90m solo effort.

Greg Inglis, Full Field Try Against the Broncos (youtube.com)

South Sydney’s points: Tries – Auva’a, G Burgess, Inglis, Johnston (debut), Koroisau. Goals – Reynolds 4/6

South Sydney’s team: Greg Inglis, Alex Johnston, Dylan Walker, Kirisome Auva’a, Bryson Goodwin, John Sutton, Adam Reynolds, George Burgess, Apisai Koroisau, Dave Tyrrell, Kyle Turner, Ben Te’o, Sam Burgess. Reserves: Cameron McInnes, Jason Clark, Chris McQueen, Luke Burgess.

Broncos v Rabbitohs Round 8, 2014 | Classic Match Highlights (youtube.com)

 

Rabbit in the Vineyard with Sam Burgess at The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba, July 2019.

 

2004: Club legend John Sutton’s debut

South Sydney legend John Sutton debuted in the centres, Round 17, 2004. Souths were heavily defeated, 28-48 by the star-studded Broncos.

The 2004 Broncos included players such as Karmichael Hunt, Ben Ikin, Carl Webb and captain Gorden Tallis.

2014 was a premiership year for Souths. 2004 was a wooden spoon year. Those early years after reinstatement (2002) were ugly at times. Souths had two coaches in 2004.

Sutton was certainly an enigma in the early years of his career. I recall listening to a game on the radio in the early 2000s where the commentary regarding the Bra Boy Sutton went this way “John Sutton … have I called his name yet this afternoon?! My word he can drift in and out of games!”

In another Michael Maguire masterstroke, Sutton was made part of the leadership group as Souths built towards premiership number 21.

To Sutton’s credit, he went on to become South Sydney’s record games holder, he captained the 2014 premiership side, and is now a highly regarded assistant coach at the club.

South Sydney’s points: Tries – Wood, Harrison, Sutton (debut), Thompson. Goals – Williams 4/5

South Sydney’s team: Brad Watts, Shane Marteene, Garth Wood, John Sutton, Wes Tillot, Owen Craigie, Joe Williams, Scott Geddes, Shane Walker, Paul Stringer, Luke Stuart, Anthony Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Reserves: Willie Manu, Glenn Hall, David Thompson, David Fa’alogo.

John Sutton’s front row seats to Rabbitohs’ incredible evolution | NRL.com

 

2021: part of the Southeast Queensland COVID bubble

2021 was a great year to be a Brisvegas resident and a member of South Sydney football club. The NRL competition rolled on, thanks to the ‘COVID bubble’. Souths were based on the Gold Coast, meaning many games were played at either Robina or at the Cauldron.

Crowd sizes varied, depending on health department advice to the NRL.

Souths went on a run in 2021 right through to the Grand Final at the Cauldron. A heart-breaking two-point loss to the offside, wrestling Panthers. A bridge of utter disappointment I will never be able to build, let alone walk over.

2021 was memorable for watching many games with one of the many wonderful Souths people I have met along the journey, one of the all-time greats, Mick Coorey.

Souths thumped Brisbane 46-0 in Thursday night football, in Round 15.

South Sydney’s points: Tries – Graham 2, Johnston 2, Gagai, Milne, Mitchell, Sele. Goals – Reynolds 6/8, Mitchell 1/1.

South Sydney’s team: Latrell Mitchell, Alex Johnston, Dane Gagai, Campbell Graham, Taane Milne, Codey Walker, Adam Reynolds, Mark Nicholls, Damien Cook, Tevita Tetola, Keon Koloamatangi, Jai Arrow, Cameron Murray. Res: Hame Sele, Thomas Burgess, Jacob Host, Blake Taaffe.

 Broncos v Rabbitohs Match Highlights | Round 15, 2021 | Telstra Premiership | NRL (youtube.com)

 

Rugby League Project Match Summaries:

NSWRL 1989 – Round 15 – Brisbane Broncos 8 lost to South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 – RLP (rugbyleagueproject.org)

NRL 2009 – Round 19 – Brisbane Broncos 12 lost to South Sydney Rabbitohs 44 – RLP (rugbyleagueproject.org)

NRL 2014 – Round 8 – Brisbane Broncos 26 lost to South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 – RLP (rugbyleagueproject.org)

NRL 2004 – Round 17 – Brisbane Broncos 48 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 – RLP (rugbyleagueproject.org)

NRL 2021 – Round 15 – Brisbane Broncos 0 lost to South Sydney Rabbitohs 46 – RLP (rugbyleagueproject.org)

 

 

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