NRL Round 23 – Rabbit in the Vineyard: Here (Olympic Stadium, Homebush) and there (Olympic Stadium, Paris)

 

 

South Sydney (15th 7 wins, 12 losses) v Melbourne (1st 15 wins, 4 losses)
Stadium Australia-Sydney Olympic Stadium, Homebush
Thursday 8 August, 8:00pm

 

Games of the 33rd Olympiad, Paris Day 12

Australian men’s 4x100m relay break the national record in Olympic semi-final.

Over in Paris, the young man I coached for three years back in Brisbane (until January last year), was about to run the first leg in the Australian 4x100m relay team in an Olympic semi-final.

For the record, the Australian team ran in a stacked first semi (USA, South Africa, Japan, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Japan, Italy). The Australian boys broke a 24-year-old national record, clocking 38.12 seconds for sixth place.

In a great example of luck of the draw, China won semi-final two in a slower time than Lachlan Kennedy OLY and his teammates, however the Chinese team did qualify for the final, along with eventual gold medallists Canada (third in the second semi-final).

Carl Lewis called for the U.S. relay system to be blown up and started again after the star-studded team from the land of the free were disqualified in the final.

 

Souths take on the first placed Melbourne at Sydney Olympic Stadium

Souths record against Melbourne is as lop sided as any: played 40, Storm wins: 33, Souths wins 7. Souths yet to win in Melbourne.

Souths may be ravaged with injuries, however the team still contains the following: three Origin forwards: Cook, Murray and Koloamatangi; two Origin backs: Cody and Wighton; and an English international on the bench, the 246-gamer Thomas Burgess.

Cook, Murray and Wighton have all played for Australia.

At the Sydney Olympic Stadium, where 113,000+ spectators saw Cathy Freeman win the 400m on 25 September 2000 – an official crowd of just under nine thousand were watching the Storm and Souths go at it.

A five tries to three win for the Storm was the result at full time. The Storm had chalked up their obligatory win in Melbourne earlier in the season 54-20, so for the ‘half full’ Souths optimists, this result was seen as some type of positive.

The cold, hard facts are: Souths slumped to their 13th loss of the season, and still sit in 15th position on the ladder with a points differential well and truly in the red (minus 136).

 

The Clive Churchill-George Piggins-Sam Burgess-Mario Fenech inspirational play:

Captain Cameron Murray’s try in the 70th minute. Souths did more than hold their own in the second half and, as always, the captain said: ‘Come on boys, follow me.’

 

The Phil Blake chip n chase best attacking moment:

Fletcher Myers’ intercept try – let’s call it length of the field, because it was (at least) 80m!

 

The Rampling Brothers-Ian Roberts-Les Davidson-David Boyle tackler of the match:

Davvy Moale – who has really come into his own in 2024, in a well beaten team.

 

Hame Sele watch: along with Blake Taaffe, Souths 2021 Grand Final fullback, one of Rabbit in the Vineyard’s favourite former Souths players, was taken to hospital on Saturday night, with an irregular heat beat. Hame now plays for the Dragons, who are sitting on the cusp of the top eight. Reports on Sunday were that Hame was ‘OK’.

 

FULL TIME: Melbourne 28 d South Sydney 16

Souths points: tries (3) Myers 18, 54’, Murray 70’. goals Myers 2/3

Souths line up: Gray, Myers, Milne, Kennar, Gagai, Cody, Wighton, Moale, Cook, Keppie, Murray (capt) Chee Kam, Koloamatagini, bench: Mamouzelos, Duncan, Burgess, S Mitchell

Half-time: 4-22

 

Crowd: 8,973

 

Highlights:

NRL 2024 | Rabbitohs v Storm | Match Highlights (youtube.com)

 

Press conference:

Rabbitohs pleased with their fight despite loss I South Sydney Press Conference I Fox League (youtube.com)

 

RITV Player of the Year:

3 – Cameron Murray, 2 – Jye Gray, 1 – Fletcher Myers

Progressive:

Murray, Wighton & Gray 14, Cook 13, Koloamatangi 12, Burgess 9, Duncan 8, Moale & Latrell 7, Arrow 5, Gagai 4, Hawkins, 3 Havili & Cody 2, Myers, S Mitchell and Milne 1.

 

Next Games:

Round 24: v Tigers, Campbelltown Saturday 17/8/24, 7:30pm;
Round 25: v Newcastle, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Saturday 24/8/24 7:30pm;
Round 26: v Penrith, Penrith Park Friday 30/8/24 8:00pm (clash with Marananga Wine Show);
Round 27: v Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Friday 6/9/24 8:00pm.

 

BAROSSA RED WINE OF THE WEEK:

Krondorf Old Salem Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021

Product Details – Krondorf Wines

 

Russel Hansen, South Sydney football club diamond member 6199, lives in Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. His golden retriever, Murray, is named after the South Sydney captain. Twitter/X: @Rabbit in the Vineyard @Russel_Hansen

 

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