NRL Round 7
Canterbury-Bankstown v South Sydney
Sydney Olympic Stadium, Perth
Good Friday 18 April 2025
Nothing good to report from Good Friday
Nothing to sugar coat here – Souths were comprehensively outplayed on Good Friday by the top of the table Bulldogs. The last time Canterbury held Souths scoreless was 1973 (an 11-0 loss at Redfern Oval).
The Dogs were relentless – in both attack and defence. Souths struggled to defend Canterbury’s off-loads, whilst the Dogs’ defence held up Rabbitohs prop Junior Tetola over the line, millimetres from the turf, a summary of the Belmore boys’ attitude.
Due to injury and suspension, Souths started with yet another halves combination, this week it was the ‘big dogs’ (pun intended) of the club – Latrell and Cody. With the Bulldogs forwards dominating, there was little the two Souths play-makers could provide in attack.
Bennett replaced Cody with the much-hyped St Helens recruit Lewis Dodd for the last twenty minutes. The game was well and truly over as a contest before Dodd made his NRL debut.
First half tries to the dynamic forward trio of Curran, King and Tupounia provided the Souths pack with a Good Friday lesson in middle of the field dominance.
Hard working Rockhampton lad Lachlan Hubner was out of the game before half-time with a head injury … to say Souths missed his clean-up work would be the understatement of the NRL season to date.
Two more tries after oranges only put an exclamation point on the result.
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton, who still gives me nightmares from the 2021 Grand Final (when as a Panther, he scored the intercept try to win the premiership for Penrith) did not miss a kick at goal, to rub more salt into the wound.
Campbell Graham made a welcome return from injury. The tall outside back was the only representative player (former or current) to make any impact in the contest – Jack Wighton, Keon Koloamatangi, along with Latrell and the captain, Cody, who was Player of the Match last time he represented NSW, in Game Three of the 2023 series, really need to lift on Anzac Day in Melbourne.
Full time: Canterbury-Bankstown 32 d South Sydney 0
Souths points: N/A
Half-time: Canterbury-Bankstown 20-0
Souths team list: Gray, Graham, Aitken, Wighton, Tass, Latrell, Cody (capt.), Keppie, Mamouzelos, Tetola, Koloamatangi, Arrow, Hubner. Bench: Trent Dodd (NRL debut – SSFC player number 1208), Havili, Duncan, Moale.
Referee: Grant Atkins, Bunker: Ashley (Calvin) Klein
Penalties: Bulldogs 9-4
Crowd: 65, 305
The Ian Roberts-Rampling brothers-Charlie Frith defender of the match:
Not awarded. 
The Clive Churchill-George Piggins-Mario Fenech inspirational player:
Without Jye Gray, the score would have been higher than it was …
Gray with a brave take under pressure | NRL.com
The Phil Blake ‘chip n chase’ best attacking play:
Not awarded.
Souths next travel to Melbourne to play the Storm, who are coming off a heavy loss (22-42, after leading 16-12 at half-time!) to Wayne’s most recent team, the Dolphins.
In what is the most lop-sided stat in the NRL, Souths and the Storm have played each other 41 times, the ledger firmly in the favour of Bellamy’s men 34 wins to 7. The points for and against is another horrifying stat: 1090 to 555.
In Melbourne, across multiple venues, including the iconic (now redeveloped Collingwood FC training venue) Olympic Park, the stat is even more mind-boggling: Nineteen previous meetings in Melbourne, with Souths still searching for their first win in the Victorian capital, including the gut-wrenching 2018 Qualifying Final loss, 28-29, a Cameron Munster field goal the difference.
A huge mountain for Wayne Bennett’s men to climb on Friday night.
2025 RABBIT IN THE VINEYARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS:
3 points: Campbell Graham
2 points: Jye Gray
1 point: Davvy Moale
2025 PROGRESSIVE:
14 – Jye Gray, 8 – Jamie Humphreys, 5 – Campbell Graham, 3 Jai Arrow, Lachlan Hubner & Keon Koloamatangi, 2 Campbell Graham and Sean Keppie, 1 – Davvy Moale, Peter Mamouzelos, Cody & Latrell.
NB: 2023 and 2024 winner: Cameron Murray
HIGHLIGHTS:
NRL Match Highlights 2025 | Bulldogs v Rabbitohs | Round 7
PRESS CONFERENCE:
Wayne takes aim at high-tackle inconsistencies | Rabbitohs Press Conference | Fox League
SOUTH SYDNEY: FULL WEEKEND RESULTS
NSW Cup: Canterbury-Bankstown 62 d South Sydney 18
JERSEY FLEGG (U/21) South Sydney 30 d Canterbury-Bankstown 6
HAROLD MATTS (U/17) South Sydney 18 d Illawarra 14
BAROSSA VALLEY RED WINE OF THE WEEK
A very Barossa Easter Saturday afternoon – Hentley Farm, to Tscharke, to Marananga School:
Max & Me: Boongarrie Vineyard 2021 Syrah
Easter Saturday: Marananga School
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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About Russel Hansen
Russel Hansen Has worked in schools for over thirty years – as a teacher, coach, coach educator, sports coordinator and in pastoral care roles. Whilst at Brisbane Boys’ College as Director of Athletics, he led teams to six GPS premierships in track and field, and cross country. He has coached (athletics) at all levels from school to international. His squad at the University of Queensland (to January 2023) included Lachlan Kennedy OLY, Paris 4x100m relay runner, Australian record holder. He is married to Heidi, a Primary school principal, and is father to two adult daughters. Twitter: @Russel_Hansen
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