Round 24
Wests Tigers 12 l. South Sydney Rabbitohs 37

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Merritt ruled out for the season
Mon August 27, 2007
Source: www.souths.com.au

Rabbitohs star Nathan Merritt will miss the rest of the 2007 NRL season after suffering a leg injury in yesterday's win over the Tigers. Merritt underwent scans this morning which revealed the full extent of damage to his left knee.

South Sydney Director of Athletic Performance Errol Alcott said Merritt is facing surgery and a four month lay off.

"Nathan has been reviewed by the Club doctor and had diagnostic scans this morning that have shown a lateral ligament tear in his left knee. He has also torn the hamstring tendon off the bone. This will require surgical repair and therefore Nathan will be out for the remainder of the season. He is looking at approximately a four month lay off," Alcott said.

Rabbitohs head coach Jason Taylor said everyone associated with the Club is extremely disappointed for Merritt.

"It is very disappointing for Nathan. I know he was really looking forward to hopefully playing in the semi-finals for South Sydney. We all really feel for him. But even if he will be on the sideline over the coming weeks he is still an important part of the team," Taylor said.

The S outh Sydney Rabbitohs are the most successful Club in Rugby League. Established in 1908, the South Sydney Club has won 20 first grade premierships and provided 62 internationals for the Australian side, and have famously worn their cardinal red and myrtle green colours since inception. In 1925, South Sydney was dubbed 'The Pride of the League' and the Rabbitohs are known as this to this day. The rebirth of the Rabbitohs began on 7 June, 2006 through a new partnership between Russell Crowe, Peter Holmes a Court and the 8000 Members of the Club.

News sent by: www.souths.com.au

Also, please fill out the 2007 rleague.com Fan Say survey and have your say on Rugby League in 2007! Click HERE for more information.


Souths resounding victory over Tigers at Leichhardt
Mon August 27, 2007
Source: www.souths.com.au

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have moved into seventh position on the NRL ladder with a resounding 37-12 victory over the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval in front of 20,232 fans.

The Rabbitohs secured their 12th victory of the season against the Tigers, jumping the Tigers on the competition table and putting themselves in a great position to secure their first finals berth since 1989.

The Rabbitohs scored six tries to two to record a rare victory at the Tigers spiritual home in Leichhardt.

In what could only be described as a physical start to the match, both sides traded heavy defence in the opening sets in an old-fashioned softening-up period fitting of today's match venue. In the fourth minute, Rabbitohs fullback Nathan Merritt left the field with a leg injury, leaving the Rabbitohs with only three on their bench. The Rabbitohs were dominating play early and points would surely come.

The first points came in the 14th minute of play when South Sydney junior John Sutton scored on the right hand side of the field. Long breaks from Fetuli Talanoa and Jeremy Smith set up the field position and a penalty gave the Rabbitohs a repeat set of six. On the third play of the set five-eighth Joe Williams went to the right to Sutton who touched down for four points. Williams converted to give the Rabbitohs a six-nil lead.

Six minutes later Jeremy Smith crossed practically untouched. Just 10 metres out from the line he stepped off his right foot twice and strolled past three defenders to score. Williams converted to give the Rabbitohs a 12-nil lead after 20 minutes.

In the 29th minute of play, South Sydney junior Yileen Gordon scored a fantastic individual try in a display of strength and power. Again 10 metres out from the line, Gordon scooted out of dummy half, beating one defender and carrying two over the line with him to score on the left hand side. Williams kept his 100% record with the boot giving the visitors an 18-nil lead after 30 minutes.

Centre Nigel Vagana bombed a certain try for the Rabbitohs when he dropped the ball over the line with no one in sight of him. The Tigers posted their first points in the final minute of the first half when Benji Marshall made a long break and found Daniel Fitzhenry in support to score under the posts. Marshall converted to take the teams to the break at 18-six in favour of the Rabbitohs.

The Rabbitohs dominated the half in both attack and defence, and if not for a couple of lapses with the ball-in-hand the lead could have been even greater. Fetuli Talanoa, Yileen Gordon, Shane Rigon and Issac Luke were making great metres out of dummy half and John Sutton was doing as he pleased on the right hand side of the field. Luke Stuart and Roy Asotasi were also making metres in the middle of the ruck and Jeremy Smith, often standing at second-receiver, had the Tigers' defence in two-minds. The Tigers dropped their intensity markedly in the second 20 minutes of the first half and the Rabbitohs maintained their pressure. It looked as though the Rabbitohs kickers were targetting Benji Marshall in the air, with Marshall swapping wings in defence and the Rabbitohs' kickers following him from the left hand side to the right hand side.

The Rabbitohs didn't start the half well with loose balls costing them possession in good field position. Their defence held strong in the early exchanges, keeping the Tigers out well inside their own half.

South Sydney's persistance paid off in the 51st minute when Dean Widders scored on the left hand side of the field. First-receiver Joe Williams ran at the line and picked out the gap for Widders to crash over from five metres out. Williams converted to give the Rabbitohs a 24-six lead with 29 minutes left in the game.

Three minutes later the Rabbitohs struck again through captain Roy Asotasi. Joe Williams ran through the line and turned it inside to Asotasi who scored under the posts. Williams converted to give the Rabbitohs a 30 points to six advantage.

Asotasi was denied a second try just three minutes later when Jeremy Smith put him away but was judged to have knocked the ball on, into an opposing Wests Tigers player.

The Tigers gave their fans some hope in the 60th minute when winger Taniela Tuiaki ran 50 metres up the left hand touch line and around under the posts to score. Marshall converted taking the scores to 30-12 in favour of South Sydney.

The Rabbitohs ran in their sixth try when Yileen Gordon scored his second of the afternoon in the 64th minute. The ball was thrown around through many sets of hands and finally found itself with Dean Widders. Widders beat two defenders and grubber kicked to the corner for Gordon to touch down centimetres in from touch. Joe Williams converted from the touchline to give the Rabbitohs an unassailable lead with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Despite leading by 24 points with only eight minutes left on the clock, the Rabbitohs showed great desperation in defence to keep the Tigers out. Nigel Vagana made up for his previous mistake by tackling Chris Lawrence over the line and jolting the ball free in the tackle to save a try.

Joe Williams kicked a field goal in the 74th minute to extend the lead to 37-12 in the dying minutes and to seal their 12th win of the 2007 season.

The Rabbitohs move on to play the Sydney Roosters next Saturday night at 5:30pm at Telstra Stadium in the Club's final home game of the season. Every Rabbitohs fan must be at this game to cheer the Rabbitohs on to a place in the finals.

South Sydney Rabbitohs 36 (John Sutton, Jeremy Smith, Yileen Gordon, Dean Widders, Roy Asotasi tries; Joe Williams 6 goals; Joe Williams field goal)

defeated

Wests Tigers 6 (Daniel Fitzhenry, Taniela Tuiaki tries; Benji Marshall 2 goals)

Report source: www.souths.com.au

Also, please fill out the 2007 rleague.com Fan Say survey and have your say on Rugby League in 2007! Click HERE for more information.

Wed August 22, 2007
• 500 tickets remain for 'Game of the Season'
  
Tue August 21, 2007
• Rabbitohs announce team for Wests Tigers clash
  
Mon August 20, 2007
• Sell out expected for Wests Tigers v Rabbitohs
  

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