The Bulldogs have pulled off a major upset tonight, rolling the Rabbitohs 32-12 in their Round 21 clash, on a night when the South Sydney outfit had everything to play – they stumbled. Many were thinking Canterbury were just making up the numbers tonight – but they showed they have some damage left in them for 2010.
Canterbury finally aimed up in the forwards, using some guile and persistence in and around the ruck to keep punching holes in the Bunnies line – resulting in an array of points and a loss that hurts the Bunnies finals chances given their tough draw in the weeks ahead.
To make matters worse, Souths are expected to lose Sam Burgess for a period – after the star import was put on report for a grapple on Ben Barba.
Not even the returning Issac Luke could spark the Rabbitohs into action, the Kiwi rake starting from the bench and getting his chance early with starting hooker Beau Falloon injuring his arm seriously and sitting out the remainder of the match.
Despite the scoreline getting as high as 20-6 in the second term, Souths did have a chance to fight back against a tiring Bulldogs side. While Canterbury had built up an impressive lead, the tide did swing the Bunnies way – with Souths having a mountain of possession and opportunities late in the piece, but they simply couldn’t come up with points.
With their injury toll continuing to mount, things aren’t getting better for South Sydney – they now face a tough battle to keep in touch on the NRL Leader board.
For the Bulldogs however, they are still a mathematical chance – sure, it’s a huge age – but if they can win the lions share of their remaining games and hope results swing their way, they could sneak an unlikely Top 8 birth.