Final Teams - Roosters (Left) - Rabbitohs (Right)
Hello Tragics, Welcome to another installment of Down the Rabbit Hole, Today I'll be review the Elimination Final between the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium, Lets get into it!
The winner of this match will face the Cronulla Sharks in the second Semi Final in Week 2.
The Rabbitohs first two defensive sets were very impressiving forcing the Roosters to kick from their own half, giving the Rabbitohs good field position early.
A very concerning sign early for Rabbitohs fans with captain Cameron Murray going down after being run over the top of by Matt Lodge afters he's had to complete NRL conncussions protocols to be fit for today's game but he looks fine and Eddie Farah, the Rabbitohs trainer gives him the all clear, no intervention from the HIA Bunker.
Am I watching the right game here, I thought that the Wallabies played next week?
Latrell Mitchell just kicked from inside his own 20 metre line on the first tackle giving the Roosters possession on their 30 metre line and allow the Roosters to march up field for an attacking oppurtunity, however they cannot convert this opportunity with Luke Keary throwing a forward pass to Drew Hutchison but Hutchison is also pushed out of play by Lachlan Ilias, you got lucky Latrell, very lucky!
Things have just started to get heated her at Allianz with Victor Radley getting involved in a scuffle with Taane Milne in backplay during the Rabbitohs set, was that a punch from Victor Radley?
The Bunker are reviewing this and they have spotted a Victor Radley punch and he is off for 10 in the bin, in my opinion Roosters fans you were a bit hard done by there as I saw it as more of a shove, Nevertheless, Roosters are down to 12 men inside the first 5 minutes, Buckle up Tragics, I think that's only a taste of whats to come.
The Rabbitohs forwards are making very easy metres into the Roosters half of the field after a penalty was given for the Victor Radley "punch" and after some smooth ballplaying from Cameron Murray off the back of this allow Cody Walker and Latrell tMitchell to combine and send Alex Johnston over in the corner and Latrell Mitchell converts - Rabbitohs lead 6 nil.
The Roosters don't trail for long, under five minutes later, the Roosters score through Angus Crichton after Drew Hutchison manages to beat the South Sydney defence and gets an offload to Angus Cricton who runs straight through the middle of a hole in the Rabbitohs defence, Sam Walker misses an easy conversion just off to the side of the posts - Roosters 4 - Rabbitohs 6.
The Roosters continued to control the play for the next six minutes, with the Roosters looking re-energised after scoring their first try of the match with their forwards marching up field with the Rabbitohs defence not offering much resistance in this six minute period.
Off the back off this good field position, Sam Walkers throws a beautiful cutout pass from dummy half which finds Daniel Tupou who scores in the corner, the Roosters once again score with a player in the sin bin, Sam Walker misses another goal from the sideline but the Roosters still take the lead 8-6.
This attack period ends after James Tedesco is collected high by George Burgess but no action i taken against Burgess, but look away now Roosters fans, James Tedesco is off the field for a Head Injury Assessment, Joseph Sua'ali'i moves to fullback with Kevin Naiqama coming off the bench to take Sua'ali'i's spot on the wing.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is aiming for George Burgess after Burgess enters the game off the bench, Burgess obliges to this challenge and catches Waerea-Hargreaves high, no action taken from Klein, However in the next Roosters set Burgess now catches Matt Lodge hig and he is off! Rabbitohs down to 12, he will not be back until arond the 30th minute, things are kicking off here folks!
Barely a minute after the Burgess sin bin, winger Taane Milne is now is in the bin after catching Sua'ali'i high near the Roosters goal line - Rabbitohs down to 11!
The trend with the team with players in the sin bin continues in the 23rd minute with Latrell Mitchell going in to score off a Cody Walker short ball close to line; Mitchell converts his own try to retake the lead - Roosters 8 - Rabbitohs 12.
We are back to 13 on 13 but the drama does not stop there, with James Tedesco ruled out of the game after his concussion symptoms woresened with Sua'ali'i remaining at fullback and Naiqama on the wing. This has impacted their attack and the Roosters look extremely disjointed and struggling in attack without Tedesco at the back.
That's half time Tragics, with the score remaining Roosters 8 - Rabbitohs 12.
Daniel Tupou has not returned to the field after suffering a groin injury with Paul Momirovski going to the left wing, the Roosters have been extremely unlucky with injury today, now Angus Crichton is gone for the game as well and Siosiua Taukeiaho is off for a Head Injury Assessment, the Roosters bench is currently empty, I repeat empty! Thabkfully for Roosters fans he did return.
The Rabbitohs manage to take advantage of the Roosters misfortune and march up field and Cody Walker attacks the dismantled Roosters left edge and throws a cutout pass to Alex Johnston who scores in the corner - this makes Johnston the first player to score 30 tries in back to back seasons, Congratulations on another piece of history! Latrell Mitchell converts - Roosters 8 - Rabbitohs 18 - 47 minutes in to this game - The Rabbitohs are starting to pull away. The loss of James Tedesco has really hurt the Roosters!
Barely five minutes after the Alex Johnston try, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is the fourth person sent to the sin bin after coming down on George Burgess' head with his forearm with just under 30 minutes to go in the 51st minute - Based on what has happened today with the team down players, will we see another try from the Roosters?
Just after the Waerea-Hargreaves sin binning, another scuffle breaks out, the Roosters forwards are red lining and need to calm down if they want to come back in game, No surprises who the antagonist is, it's Cody Walker getting under the Roosters skin.
South Sydney manage to take advantage of the Roosters being down a man with the Rabbitohs working their way into the Roosters half and Cody Walker is toying with the Roosters defece and Jai Arrow manages to chase through a Cody Walker grubber and scores, Latrell Mitchell converts - Rabbitohs are running away with this game, Roosters 8 – Rabbitohs 24.
The tend continues wih the team down a player scoring a try - with Nat butcher scoring four minutes after the Waerea-Hargreaves sin bin, Roosters can't come back? Surely not? Sam Walker converts - Roosters 14 – Rabbitohs 24.
Michael Chee Kam joins the Rabbitohs bench as the 18th Man has been activated by the Rabbitohs after George Burgess was ruled out with a HIA due to foul play.
Just as Jared Waerea-Hargreaves enters the field after his ten minute sin bin, It will be 12 on 12 after Tevita Tatola was sent to the bin for some face work on a Roosters player on the ground and Vitor Radley will join him in the bin after running in and joining the scuffle that broke out - They will both not return until the 71st minute, That is six sin bins today - as the blog title suggests - This is Sin Bin Sunday!
Five minutes later, Taane Milne has been sent to the sin bin for the second time today, thats seven sin bins, the most ever seen in a game, we are witnessing all types of history today.
With 8 minutes to go, Isiah Tass scores with a show and go after Cody Walker is involved once again, Latrell Mitchell converts, Roosters 14 – Rabbitohs 30.
That's full time Tragics - South Sydney advance to the Semi Final angainst the Sharks on Saturday night. From a South Sydney perspective, I think Lachlan Ilias has had his best game in South Sydney colours, he controlled the game extremely well and is definetely warmining into the #7 jumper for the Rabbitohs.
Campbell Graham defended extremely well tonight. I also think Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Cameron Murray had a very good game.
Final Score - Rabbitohs 30 (Alex Johnston 2, Latrell Mitchell, Jai Arrow, Isiah Tass tries - Latrell Mitchell 5/5 Goals) defeated Roosters 14 (Angus Crichton, Daniel Tupou, Nat Butcher tries - Sam Walker 1/3 Goals)
That's it for this edition of Down the Rabbit Hole, I will be doing another game review of the Semi Final against the Sharks.
Peace out Tragics!
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