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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Howcroft

NRL 2021 preliminary final: South Sydney Rabbitohs crush Manly Sea Eagles – as it happened

Alex Johnston
South Sydney Rabbitohs take on Manly Sea Eagles at Suncorp Stadium in the NRL preliminary final. Follow live Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Summary

One half of the grand final equation is complete - South Sydney Rabbitohs were too good on the night for Manly, who had everything go against them over the 80 minutes. Whoever prevails out of Melbourne and Penrith will not relish taking on Wayne Bennett’s Bunnies the way the old master has got them playing.

As with the victory over the Panthers a fortnight ago, tonight’s result was built on defence and control of the ball in the middle of the park. Behind that Souths were continually gifted possession and opportunities by a luckless Sea Eagles side that contributed to their own downfall.

With so many quality ball players in their line-up (including Benji Marshall who excelled off the bench) Souths could not fail to run in tries with the imbalance of possession and territory. There were some highlights: Cook’s left-footed kick infield, Taaffe’s tap-on pass, and the moonwalk finish from Paulo, but they were the finishing touches to a game that was won and lost elsewhere.

Des Hasler will be ropable with how his side ended the season. Two disallowed tries in the first half capped a dismal 40 minutes, but after they scored early in the second period the game looked to be on. But they conceded too many errors too frequently and continually invited the Rabbitohs to punish them. A late rally padded the stats of Tom Trbojevic and Reuben Garrick as they completed record breaking seasons. Unfortunately for Manly Trbojevic was shut down tonight, running for only 93 metres and barely registering the threat we’ve seen so often this season.

Thanks for joining me tonight. Emma Kemp will see you through tomorrow’s prelim on an absurdly busy day of action with the AFL Grand final, the Wallabies taking on the Pumas, and plenty more besides. We’ll see you then.

South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs are through to the NRL grand final. Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Full-time: Souths 36-16 Manly

South Sydney Rabbitohs are in the 2021 NRL grand final.

South Sydney Rabbitohs
Rabbitohs players celebrate after Jaxson Paulo scores a try during the NRL preliminary final. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Updated

TRY! Souths 36-16 Manly (Johnston, 80)

Icing on the cake. Souths go to the left edge again, Taaffe with the instinctive tap pass, and Johnston touches down for his 29th of a brilliant year. That was scintillating from Taaffe coming into the line.

Taaffe misses the conversion from the touchline, after the siren.

Updated

79 mins: Manly have been game, and they’ve fought until the end in this second half, despite the one-sided scoreboard at the break.

TRY! Souths 32-16 Manly (Garrick, 77)

Both teams committing errors late on. The second of which is a sloppy play-the-ball mistake from Souths. From the resulting scrum 30m from Manly’s line, the Sea Eagles explode. Suli busts a hole in midfield, this time he goes to his outside runner, Garrick, and the prolific point scorer scorches 30m to score. Questions about the right-edge defence of the Bunnies in the past few minutes.

Garrick gets up and kicks the extras.

Updated

TRY! Souths 32-10 Manly (Trbojevic, 74)

Ahhh, there’s some consolation. Schuster with good hands again in the line, Suli eats up the metres, he can decide who finishes the move - outside or in - he goes in, which is the supporting Trbojevic who completes his season as the record try-scorer for Manly in a single campaign.

Garricks final conversion for the year is weak and Hazem El Masri will remain the NRL record-holder for most points in a single season.

Updated

73 mins: Oh Manly, what more can you do!? Garrick finds room to run into on the left wing, with the covering defender approaching he kicks infield where DCE is favourite to collect the bouncing ball, but he can’t gather safely and Taaffe runs back to halfway. Both Garrick and Cherry-Evans looked good chances to cross, but the football Gods have been very clear tonight what outcome they’ve backed.

72 mins: It’s a short drop-out, quickly claimed by the Bunnies, which means another set from inside 10m. But on this occasion there’s a knock-on and Manly have the privilege of the Steeden in their mitts 90m away from a score.

70 mins: Souths with a full set under the posts. Three tackles in they get a six-again. This is cruel and unusual punishment for Manly fans, like chomping into a raw onion like it’s an apple. The drive is relentless but the 12-man defence stands up until the kick, which is conceded for a line drop-out.

69 mins: Lol. Now a failed captain’s challenge from DCE. Shut it down. Shut it all down and let us get excited about tomorrow’s prelim already.

68 mins: Nine’s commentators are making the perfect point. We’ve all expected this season to end up with a Storm v Panthers grand final, but Souths, in recent weeks, have added premiership defence to complement their already stellar attack, and now need to be revised as a big game threat. Including tonight, only Penrith in the last eight matches have put 20 points on them. They’re going to be a serious chance in the big one.

Yellow card - Aloiai (68)

67 mins: Bit of a blue in midfield after Nicholls is lifted above horizontal in a tackle. Aloiai is sent to the bin. Manly cannot get out of Brisbane fast enough.

65 mins: This is getting very ugly. Manly make no ground in midfield then execute a Wacky Races last tackle that features a forward pass, a wild kick from Garrick that goes backwards, then a loose carry following the regather. This is a sad way for the Sea Eagles’ thrilling season to end.

62 mins: Sheesh. Throw in the towel, end the misery. Manly win the short kick-off, build promisingly, get within 5m of the line, and there’s a loose carry courtesy of a Su’A tackle.

TRY! Souths 32-6 Manly (Paulo, 60)

How much are the Gods not on Manly’s side? Jaxson Paulo has just scored a try running backwards! The bomb goes up to the right corner on the last tackle, Paulo wins the contested mark, lands, and allows his momentum to carry him - backwards - towards Manly’s line, and fend off Trbojevic in the process. When it’s your night, it’s your night.

Taaffe with his first mongrel kick. Not that it matters any more.

Updated

60 mins: Again DCE menaces Souths with a wicked kick on the last tackle. But again the bounce of the ball favours the Bunnies. The rugby league Gods are not with Manly tonight.

58 mins: DCE with a dangerous bomb on the last, and it isn’t taken cleanly in the air, but the bounce favours South Sydney, so nothing doing. The Bunnies gain little ground on their drive, but the kick chase on Saab denies Manly good field position.

56 mins: For reasons best known to them, and to the dislike of Wayne Bennett’s cardiologist, Souths throw the ball around in their own half for a set full of risky passes, offloads, and sideways carries. They avoid catastrophe, but do concede a six-again early in Manly’s set.

54 minutes: Nothing flash on the restart set from South Sydney, and again they smother Trbojevic before he can dance clear. In further bad news for the Sea Eagles, Schuster is suffering from a stinger to his right shoulder after he was steamrollered by the massive thighs of Tom Burgess.

52 mins: How long was it on for? Four minutes? It was fun while it lasted.

TRY! Souths 28-6 Manly (Graham, 51)

Manly tried to do too much too soon and Souths have made them pay. The Bunnies rumble downfield and from the posts they execute a perfect series of catch and pass to the right, each ball player drawing the tackler, opening wider and wider gaps for the men outside, until Graham straightens up and pounds over the line.

Taaffe continues to prove an able deputy to Reynolds.

Updated

50 mins: South Sydney complete their set and kick to Trbojevic, who makes little ground running out of defence. Manly only makes 30m before the last tackle and they panic, Trbojevic trying to find the Hollywood pass but it turns into a hospital one and Souths get another soft turnover.

48 mins: Walker is forced to kick from miles out and Manly can turn the screw here. But they don’t. Two tackles into a frenzied drive there’s a loose carry and the Bunnies have a turnover on halfway. That was a crucial momentum shift.

46 mins: Manly have upped the tempo and they’re hitting the line hard this set. Souths tackle well, but when Paulo defuses the bomb he slips over and the Bunnies are pinned 10m from their line.

Oh ho! Now the Sea Eagles are coming. That is a fierce defensive set, Maroon jerseys hurling themselves at the ball carrier. This really is on!

TRY! Souths 22-6 Manly (Garrick, 44)

Manly don’t threaten for five tackles, then on the last Foran keeps the ball alive and gets play flowing to the left. Schuster then accepts the ball with two men under his nose and offloads in the same movement - brilliant, just brilliant, and Garrick has the easy job of finishing on the outside. Is this the start of the comeback? It all originates from that brilliant quick thinking from Trbojevic accepting South Sydney’s kick.

Garrick slots the touchline conversion. Is this on? It could be on, you know...

Updated

43 mins: I pressed ‘send’ too soon on that previous post. I failed to spot Trbojevic fielding the kick with one foot in touch and his body almost in the splits, meaning the Sea Eagles take their set from 45m out instead of deep in their own half.

42 mins: Immediately Manly try to go through hands early in the first set of the half. They get to halfway and DCE bombs to Taaffe. Nothing flash from South Sydney in reply. No need to take any unnecessary risks with that scoreline.

The teams are out for the second term. Can Manly mount a comeback?

21 completed sets to 11. Trbojevic only 41 metres gained. Manly with just one linebreak and one offload. Wild stats!

It sure will, but mainly just to keep his troops calm. They looked dangerous whenever they had decent field position, but those moments were all too rare. If they can control the footy and territory for 10 minutes, they’ll score points and Souths will tighten up.

Half-time: Souths 22-0 Manly

Wayne Bennett has one foot in another NRL grand final.

Rabbitohs
Rabbitohs players celebrate after Alex Johnston’s try. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Updated

40 mins: DCE with the cute kick-off, and it pays off. Can they force a late breakthrough with two or three tackles? Trbojevic tries to do it all by himself. Then DCE kicks, Koloamatangi does excellently on the ground, but he takes a knee to the back of his noggin for his troubles.

TRY! Souths 22-0 Manly (Paulo, 38)

That could knock the stuffing out of Manly. From mounting their first multi-set attack of the night to conceding a fourth try, in no time. Cook and Reynolds orchestrated a superb attacking set through the middle, then they turned their attention to the right wing where Reynolds times a beautiful cutout pass that Paulo accepts and flies over in the corner. Just too quick and too slick.

Taaffe drags his touchline conversion effort across the face.

Updated

37 mins: The first raid is down the left edge and it results in a six-again, but immediately afterwards there’s a turnover and the Bunnies turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye!

35 mins: Harper is up out of the line at pace to disrupt Walker at the point of receiving a pass, and Manly can establish territorial dominance before half-time.

34 mins: Manly gain some valuable territory to establish a platform in midfield, but they remain a long way off applying any field position pressure on Souths. By contrast, the Bunnies gobble up T Trbojevic on his line after he holds on to a high ball. It precedes a decent set from the Sea Eagles though and after a lovely offload from Olakau’atu, DCE has space on the right wing, but he loses balance and staggers into touch like a drunk on a slip-and-slide. Nothing at all going Manly’s way so far.

32 mins: Reynolds makes his first kick of the night, completing a midfield set for Souths. His hammy must be decent enough.

TRY! Souths 18-0 Manly (Walker, 29)

Manly grind their way out of defence but South Sydney are back at pace and on tackle four look to spread play to that dangerous left edge which gets them to 30m. Walker’s kick on the last is a huge bomb and tapped back on the 10m line. Cook crumbs like an AFL small forward, backs himself to evade Harper’s tackle, then dabs an instinctive left-footed kick infield with all the precision of a Phil Mickelson chip to the pin, and it’s bounce perfect for Walker to grab and touchdown. Brilliant broken field footy from the Bunnies. Walker was flat on his back after being flattened in the action of kicking the bomb, but he recovered to support the second phase and was in the right place at the right time to snag a brace.

Taaffe continues his superb night off the tee.

Updated

27 mins: After their lucky escape Souths go down the other end and get more good fortune when Olakau’atu can’t gather the grubber on the last tackle and it’s a repeat set in the shadow of the line. The Bunnies get back to work, probing the Sea Eagles’ defensive line. Taaffe has a look, then Campbell Graham dives over from dummy-half! The on-field call is no-try. The TMO cannot confirm grounding with two Manly players between Bunny and turf. It’s all happening.

25 mins: Not for the first time tonight the Bunnies cough up the ball in midfield. Manly have yet to capitalise. Foran turns a safe set into something more dangerous with a dart to the left edge Suddenly there’s some momentum. On the last they keep the play alive and go all the way to the right. Trbojevic enters the line, pins his ears back and takes on Johnston and Taaffe - and he barrels his way over! What a footballer he is. Hmmmm, the grounding isn’t great. It’s given on-field, but replays show the ball comes loose right at the crucial moment. The TMO is involved. Overturned! For the second time this half Manly are denied a score! That was tough, but probably the right call. It should probably be said that Trbojevic had his winger in acres of space on his outside...

TRY! Souths 12-0 Manly (Johnston, 23)

The Bunnies can sense their moment and they’ve stepped up the tempo a notch. Inside Manly’s defensive 10m they push and push, earning a six-again in the process. Surely this is only a matter of time? It’s all on the right edge near the line. When will they switch? Now, is when, and four passes later Alex Johnston has his 28th try of the year. Manly defended stoutly on their line and Saab did his best to rush up and influence play, but the Rabbitohs have that move down pat and cannot be stopped with the winger diving into the corner.

Taaffe curls a magnificent touchline conversion through. South Sydney well on top here.

Updated

22 mins: Another HIA for Manly. Taupau now needs some attention after putting his head in the way of Cody Walker’s knee near the posts. His eyebrow’s split open and that will need stitching up and a concussion test. Souths take advantage with a strong push and a line drop-out.

20 mins: On the second tackle Manly engineer a lovely move from midfield to the left edge to create the first inches of space for Trbojevic all night. Turbo burns 20m then offloads to Garrick to complete a classic winger’s try around the outside... or not. Play is called back for an obstruction in the build-up with Reynolds taken out in the line by Olakau’atu. Did it really interfere with play? Probably not, but the TMO understand the laws better than I do.

18 mins: Manly are easing their way back into the contest and get their first attacking kick away but Paulo deals with it in the right corner. The Bunnies execute a solid set and chase hard behind Walker’s bomb, denying Trbojevic any space to rebound. Soon afterwards Murray concedes the first penalty of the night with a lazy arm into a falling tackle allowing Manly to attack from halfway.

16 mins: Souths lose possession in midfield and Foran counters quickly. With their first decent look the Sea Eagles go through hands to the right to try to isolate Saab, but the defence is across quickly and the speedster is scragged over the touchline.

TRY! Souths 6-0 Manly (Walker, 14)

From the resulting set the play remains on the Rabbitohs’ left and Gagai elects to kick a couple of metres from the line. It isn’t great but it rebounds off Saab’s legs, bobbles every which way off hands, and Walker is on the spot to touch down! The TMO had to check a mass of possibilities - including a penalty try against DCE for pulling back Gagai - but a conventional four-pointer is awarded.

Taaffe clips the inside of the left-hand upright with his conversion but it goes through. Clearly Reynolds has an issue if he’s not taking kicks. Walker has done all the field kicking so far. Interesting.

Updated

13 mins: Manly have read South Sydney’s attacks well so far, rushing up to influence the interplay on the left edge. On the latest occasion Walker is smothered as he looks to link with Reynolds, but there’s a Manly hand involved and it’s six-again.

11 mins: Both sides get back to work in midfield but Souths again look dangerous going through hands on the left edge. Trbojevic is forced to smother a kick just a couple of metres from his line.

As expected Keppie has failed his HIA. Manly with only three on the bench for the majority of this contest.

9 mins: Fast aggressive defence off the scrum denies the Bunnies any space. A six-again is awarded soon afterwards but the Rabbitohs can’t capitalise when Taaffe can’t hold on under pressure. This has been a fast and full-blooded start, and the Sea Eagles will be pleased to have avoided an early concession after a mountain of South Sydney pressure.

8 mins: The Bunnies continue to apply pressure on Manly’s defence and Reynolds dabs a cute grubber to force a line drop-out. From that Taaffe eats up the metres, Paulo does brilliantly to keep the ball alive before being bundled into touch, and a Schuster knock-on invites the Rabbitohs to feed a scrum under the posts.

6 mins: The Bunnies look very lively in attack, pinching metres from dummy half and sharking left and right. Behind play Keppie is out cold after getting his head in the wrong place for a tackle on Nicholls. He could be done for the night after an HIA. The Rabbitohs continue to attack and look threatening on the left edge before changing tack to the right where Paulo cuts in from the touchline, angles infield, spots a gap, and takes on Trbojevic on the line. Does he get the touchdown? No! So so close.

5 mins: Now it’s Manly’s turn to rattle some ribcages with Croker and J Trbojevic getting busy. Souths complete their third consecutive set but Manly cannot respond in kind. Keppie with a loose carry in midfield and Reynolds pinches 25 m to set up the first attacking platform of the night.

4 mins: Souths are the first side to go through hands but a loose pass to the left edge forces them to concede 10-15m. They respond with another brutal defensive set, really putting some work into Manly through the middle.

2 mins: Yikes! Taaffe drops the kick-off - but backwards, and Souths escape. They complete their set near halfway and chase hard before executing a strong defensive effort complete with a couple of bone-crunching hits.

Kick-off

Who will return to Suncorp Stadium next week for the NRL grand final? We’ll find out in 80 minutes.

And now the Bunnies, in their green and red hoops with black accessories. Rabbitohs fans seem outnumbered in the stands to my eye.

Manly are out first onto the Suncorp Stadium turf. They’re in their traditional maroon and white. Plenty of fans cheering them out.

It’s clear, mild and dry under the floodlights of Lang Park. There is a northerly breeze but it shouldn’t be more than a minor irritation.

To Manly fans, the venue has come to be known as Brookvale North due to the large number of travelling fans at the ground.

Taking a minor detour to Origin-land, Billy Slater’s appointment as Queensland’s new coach comes as little surprise, but landing on an unproven coach that was a playing legend is a move with no shortage of risk.

For Nick Tedeschi, tonight is all about the master Wayne Bennett.

Should South Sydney go on to win this competition, Bennett would become the first coach to lead three different clubs to a premiership and will equal Arthur Holloway’s record eight overall. His gap of 30 seasons between his first title and his last will also tie Holloway’s record of longevity.

Manly XIII

Just the one enforced change from Des Hasler with Brad Parker failing a late fitness test on his injured hand and replaced in the centres by Moses Suli.

The Sea Eagles are again on record-watch tonight. Tom Trbojevic now shares the club record with Phil Blake for the most tries in a season, with 27. Trbojevic has reached his mark in seven fewer matches. Not far behind, Jason Saab sits on 26 tries in 26 games.

Meanwhile, Reuben Garrick, the NRL’s highest points scorer this season, is just 20 points shy of Hazem El Masri’s 2004 record of 342 points in a season.

Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 19. Moses Suli 4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Josh Aloiai 9. Lachlan Croker 16. Sean Keppie 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Josh Schuster 13. Jake Trbojevic
Interchange: 10. Martin Taupau 14. Dylan Walker 15. Karl Lawton 17. Taniela Paseka

Reuben Garrick
Reuben Garrick could end 2021 as the NRL’s record points scorer in a single season. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Souths XIII

After a week’s hard-earned rest, the Rabbitohs are back at the starting line with the save 17 warriors that worked so hard to keep the Panthers at bay a fortnight ago. The array of ball players makes the Bunnies incredibly dangerous, but it was the defensive solidity that shone against Penrith. Nathan Cleary targeted young fullback Blake Taafe, and expect him to once again be sent plenty of high balls to test his nerve in such a high-pressure contest.

Rabbitohs: 1. Blake Taaffe 2. Alex Johnston 3. Dane Gagai 4. Campbell Graham 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Mark Nicholls 9. Damien Cook 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Cameron Murray
Interchange: 14. Benji Marshall 15. Jacob Host 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Jai Arrow

Blake Taaffe
Blake Taaffe will be under scrutiny for South Sydney. Photograph: Jason O’Brien/AAP

Preamble

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of South Sydney Rabbitohs v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the first NRL preliminary final. Kick-off at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane was scheduled for 7.50pm, but Manly’s team bus has been caught up in traffic and the start time has been pushed back 15 minutes.

There are just three matches and four teams remaining in the 2021 NRL season. The top four from the home and away season are all still in the mix, and tonight one of those powerhouses will make it through to the grand final.

South Sydney, led by the timeless Wayne Bennett, arrive as favourites. They are rested after enjoying a week off, and they will have spent that time soaking up the plaudits following their muscular victory over Penrith, a performance that showed the Bunnies are more than an entertaining collection of ball-players and broken field improvisers.

Souths’ qualifying final win has disrupted the course of a season that seemed destined to end with a Storm v Panthers decider. As a consequence, both these sides will see tonight’s fixture as an unexpected golden opportunity to reach the biggest day in Australian rugby league.

Manly were the form side in the run home but were put in their place abruptly by the Storm a fortnight ago. They rebounded emphatically with a clinical demolition of the Roosters. Against Easts Tom Trbojevic was irresistible and confirmed his status as the most dangerous player in the competition. His performance tonight will likely have the most bearing on the final score.

I’ll be back with more shortly, but if you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).

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