Bunnies one win away from big one

Issac Luke scores for the Rabbitohs. Source: Mark Evans / DailyTelegraph

SOUTH Sydney turned Melbourne's championship blueprint on the premiers to move within 80 minutes of their first grand final appearance in 42 years.

3 Tries 2
Dylan Farrell 8'	Billy Slater 54'
Jeff Lima 26'	Will Chambers 72'
Issac Luke 67'
3 Conversions 1
Adam Reynolds 10'	Cameron Smith 55'
Adam Reynolds 27'
Adam Reynolds 69'
1 Penalties 0
Adam Reynolds 22'

The Rabbitohs delivered Michael Maguire his first win in five attempts over his old club with a clinical display of choking defence that kept the Storm at arms' length all evening.

Showing great enthusiasm after their shattering loss to the Roosters on the same turf last week, Souths harassed Melbourne's big three - Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk - into a string of uncharacteristic errors.

As a result the Storm could not build any meaningful chances until after halftime, when the trailed 14-0.

Slater brightened a gloomy night when he responded in the 54th minute, but man of the match Issac Luke sealed the breakthrough win for Souths with a determined try 14 minutes later.

The victory gives the Rabbitohs a fortnight to heal their wounds before returning to Olympic Park, while Melbourne have now been pitched into a sudden death semi-final against the winner of Sunday's Bulldogs-Knights eliminator at AAMI Park next Saturday night.

The key to South Sydney's victory was their start, which has faltered in previous encounters against the Storm, most notably last year's qualifying final where they trailed 18-0 after as many minutes.

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But while the level of ball control and attacking cohesion on last night's greasy surface was never going to deliver a torrent of points, Souths looked more assured than their seasoned rivals.

"Obviously they were disappointed about last Friday (against the Roosters)," Maguire said.

"They just wanted to play the way they can. We played against a very good quality team that's used to this arena and we turned up tonight."

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The same couldn't be said for Melbourne, who were draped in error-plagued disguise for much of the game.

Slater's first half was forgettable, with two regrettable moments leading to each of South Sydney's opening two tries.

In the eighth minute, Slater threw a wild pass to Justin O'Neill, who turned over possession on the Melbourne 20 metre line. Souths snapped up the ball and set Dylan Farrell across for opening points.

In the 24th minute the star fullback fumbled himself on the same patch of grass and moments later Jeff Lima steam rolled through his ex-teammates.

Cronk's kicking game wasn't quite on, while straight after halftime Smith didn't even get to his kick when he was caught on the last tackle.

But Melbourne refused to concede, and Slater was only denied a double by a contentious video refereeing call.

In the flashpoint moment of an otherwise staid contest, the fullback touched down from a kick, only to be denied when the men upstairs ruled that Storm centre Will Chambers had impeded Nathan Merritt.

Maguire conceded the call was lucky for his side, but not so for Smith.

"I thought it was a fair contest between Chambers and Merritt," Smith said.

But the skipper was more intent on turning the blow torch onto his players for a lack respect for the ball.

Even with top choice pivot Gareth Widdop making a fairytale comeback from a dislocated hip, the Storm were anything but fluent and now face a difficult task to make history and become the first NRL team to win back-to-back titles.

"We can't hold onto the footy, we invite the opposition down to our end - it should be the other way around, especially at this time of year," Smith said.

"It's really frustrating. We need to make a decision where we go this season. It's really up to use where we go from here.

"We've got to turn it around quick on that performance."

***

THE finals campaign - and long-term health - of Melbourne flier Sisa Waqa was in doctors' hands last night, following an horrendous crash landing.

Play was suspended for over five minutes as medicos fitted a neck brace to the Fijian, whose head drove into the turf at a right angle when he was spectacularly flipped while trying to regather a bomb over South Sydney's try line nine minutes from the siren.

Bouncing off the shoulder of Souths defender Dylan Farrell, Waqa was upended mid-air and fell defenceless toward the ground.

His head struck terra firma with sickening force that jolted his neck sideways and left Farrell with grave fears.

After being taken from the ground in a medicab, Waqa was transported to Westmead Hospital for observation.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said initial tests had indicated no threatening injury, but there were fears Waqa had injured a disc in his neck.

Although contact is permitted for attacking players in the air, Farrell was placed on report. He joined veteran prop Roy Asotasi, who also has a possible case to answer over a crusher tackle on Jason Ryles in the first half.

"Certainly Dylan meant no ill-will to Sisa's health," Bellamy said.

"He tackled him early before he had the ball. He knocked him off balance before he had the ball - that's why it ended up so ugly.

"That's a situation that's been waiting to happen with that rule, but it's a hard one."

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