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21 April 2004 SOUTH Sydney coach Paul Langmack last night vowed to battle on despite his side confronting a horrendous injury toll. The Rabbitohs play the Bulldogs on Monday at Aussie Stadium without nine first grade players. It is a crippling toll considering Souths do not have the depth other clubs boast. "It has certainly knocked us around," Langmack said. "The Roosters have a lot of injuries too but they have 11 internationals and they have the depth. "Penrith last season virtually had the same side for 17 straight matches. But we'll battle on." Souths were belted by more than 50 points in the corresponding game against the Bulldogs last season. But Langmack is confident his side can spring an upset. "Our first three games this year were great, we won two," Langmack said. "We fought back to be behind 28-20 against Parramatta but against Melbourne [50-4 loss] it was just one of those off days. "We were behind 12-0 and they they hadn't even made a clean break. Both their tries came from kicks." Souths injury list is: Adam MacDougall (achilles) out for season; Todd Polglase (cruciate) season; Mark Meredith (cruciate) season; Paul Stringer (back) indefinite; Scott Geddes (chest) 12 weeks; Ahmad Bajouri (neck) indefinite; Matt Riddle (nerve damage) indefinite; Scott Pethybridge (retired); Terry Hill (retired). http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,9362927-23214,00.html 21 April 2004 Souths chase unwanted Lauitiiti Crunch time: Shaun Timmins is tackled by Nathan Hindmarsh during the Australian team's training session in Newcastle yesterday. Photo: Getty Images Injury-hit South Sydney head a queue of NRL clubs chasing star Kiwi international Ali Lauitiiti after he was yesterday released as part of a dramatic shake-up at the Warriors. The move stunned Lauitiiti and re-ignited speculation over Stacey Jones's future at the club just two days after he approached management about rumours he was being shopped around in Britain. Lauitiiti was advised by the Warriors he was free to leave, two-and-a-half years before his $250,000-a- season contract is due to expire. A committed Christian, Lauitiiti was the Warriors' 2002 player of the year and the world's best second-rower at the time, but he hardly rated a mention in the lead up to last weekend's naming of the New Zealand Test side to play Australia on Friday night. Like Jones and many of their Warriors teammates, the 24-year-old veteran of 11 Tests has been sadly out of form this season after last year having a cyst removed from his left arm, which threatened his career. Losing five of their first six games this season would hardly have impressed Warriors owner Eric Watson, and it is understood that Lauitiiti was cut after he admitted to teammates and officials that winning premierships was no longer a priority for him. "The objective for our sponsors, our fans [and] for everyone who supports the game is to win games and perform at an elite level, Ali's objectives didn't exactly match up," Warriors general manager Spiro Tsiros said. "At the moment we are not performing on field and results tell us that ... we had to make a tough decision. He has been offered a release. If he chooses to channel his energies with another club or in another field, we'll give him that option." Lauitiiti now has the choice of sitting out his contract in the NZ domestic competition or finding a NRL club to do a deal with the Warriors, who have already paid him half his money for this season. Not surprisingly, there is no shortage of clubs in Australia and Britain lining up to sign him, with Souths and Cronulla immediately making offers. Manly and Parramatta officials were also considering launching bids last night, while the Roosters and Bulldogs would not rule out doing so. Souths chief executive David Tapp said the deal was for two-and-a-half years, with the majority of the money to be paid in the next two seasons. The club expected a reply today. "With the injuries we've had, he is exactly the type of player we need, and if Stacey Jones was available we'd obviously be interested in him too," Tapp said. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/20/1082395859087.html 18 April 2004 The Melbourne Storm were far too good for the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Olympic Park tonight (Saturday), winning 50 points to four in cold and wet conditions. The Storm ran in nine tries to the Rabbitohs' one in a dominating display of both attack and defence. The Rabbitohs were competitive in the first 20 minutes, with the Storm scoring two tries from kicks to Jake Webster and David Kidwell. Webster scored a second try and Matt Orford also crossed the stripe in the first half, giving the Storm a 22-nil lead going into the break. Prop Glenn Hall was denied a try by the video referee in the 40th minute, ruling Justin Smith had interfered with the defence. The Storm were completely dominant in the second stanza, piling on the points at will and defending strongly at all times. Danny Williams crossed for the first of his two tries in the 42nd minute, playing his 200th first grade game. Cameron Smith, Williams and Webster all crossed the line again, giving the Storm a 44-nil lead before the Rabbitohs managed to get points on the board. Centre Lee Hookey scored the Rabbitohs' only try, beating three defenders to score out wide in the 68th minute of play. Brett Kearney also scored what looked to be a legitimate try before the video referee ruled a double movement and a penalty to the Storm in the 53rd minute. Dustin Cooper scored the last try for the match with Danny Williams kicking the conversion, finalising the scoring at Storm 50 - Rabbitohs four. The Rabbitohs were outplayed and outclassed in Melbourne tonight, despite dominating field position for a majority of the match. Poor handling and missed tackles hampered the Rabbitohs, with the Storm's impenetrable defence and stinging attacking raids halting any hint of a South Sydney revival in Melbourne. Glenn Hall made an immediate impact for Souths when he came on in interchange and the forward pack ran the ball strongly for most of the game. To rub salt into the wound, Adam MacDougall hobbled from the field in the final two minutes of the match. All indictaions point towards MacDouagall having snapped an Achilles tendon, a season ending injury. Captain Bryan Fletcher will now have to wait until tomorrow night (Sunday) to see if he is selected in the Australian test team to take on the Kiwis in Newcastle next Friday night. http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=688 Melbourne 50 Souths 4 IN five grim words, coach Paul Langmack last night delivered the message Souths fans could least afford to hear. "Adam's out for the season," Langmack said, referring to veteran Adam MacDougall, who snapped his Achilles tendon in the dying stages of last night's heavy loss to Melbourne. Talk about adding injury to insult. South Sydney suffered the ignominy of a return to their dark days, conceding 50 points to the Storm - and then MacDougall went down injured. "He's pretty upset," Langmack said. "It just went in the last tackle, he moved forward and fell over right at the end." To compound their problems, skipper Bryan Fletcher is continuing to struggle with a foot injury. As Souths came to grips with what Langmack termed "a bad day at the office", Melbourne were saluting their new local hero. Winger Jake Webster, the first Melbourne-born Storm player, scored a hat-trick of tries in his third top-grade match. Melbourne have been successful with transplanted Kiwis and NRL journeymen, winning the premiership in 1999, but in Webster, fullback Billy Slater and centre Matt King they now have players who can grow with their fan base. It was a night for young and old as Danny Williams, in his 200th first-grade game, also crossed for a double during the second-half carnage. Souths, after a promising start to the season, are now in danger of falling back into the mire with back-to-back losses. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,9315184-23214,00.html South Sydney star recruit Adam MacDougall's season ended after he snapped his Achilles tendon in his side's 50-4 belting by Melbourne at Olympic Park. MacDougall, 29, fell awkwardly in a tackle with less than two minutes to go in the National Rugby League clash. The disconsolate former State of Origin and Test back, who had been outstanding for the Rabbitohs so far this season, was helped from the field by a trainer. His and Souths' worst fears were confirmed immediately after the match. "Adam's out for the season - he's pretty upset," Souths coach Paul Langmack said. "It just went in the last tackle, moved forward and fell over right at the end." It capped off a dreadful night for the Rabbitohs, who were given a defensive lesson in a nine tries to one shellacking by the Storm. http://7sport.com.au/news.php?id=74626 6 April 2004 The last time South Sydney were at the top of the premiership ladder a month into the season, George Piggins was coach, Jason Death was playing Presidents Cup and Luke MacDougall was just starting school. "I would have been in kindergarten," 22-year-old MacDougall said yesterday. "No one's saying that we're going to win the minor premiership like they did [in 1989] but I think it's really good for the blokes who have been here for 12 months or two years, when the side wasn't going so good." In just four weeks, Souths have turned around what was shaping as another dismal year after pre-season losses to St George Illawarra and Manly, and are fast winning back supporters. The club's commercial services manager, Brandon Punter, said yesterday that sponsorship and sales of season tickets and merchandise had all increased after wins over Wests Tigers and Cronulla - separated by the bye - and a hard-fought 26-16 first-round loss to Sydney Roosters. "Even after the Roosters game we thought we went all right so for the whole year it's been a pleasure just to go training," skipper Bryan Fletcher said. "It's a feeling we haven't really had before." Death, who joined the Rabbitohs in 2002, said the reception when the team arrived at South Sydney Leagues Club after Saturday night's 36-12 thrashing of the Sharks was akin to that afforded grand final winners. "They're sensational supporters, they're very loyal," Death said. "As we came up the escalators on Saturday night they were lined up on either side and the place was packed with people cheering us. It took about 20 minutes to get 50 metres." After being reinstated to the NRL in 2002 following a two-year legal battle, Souths would have finished last in the past two seasons had the Bulldogs not lost their competition points in 2002 for rorting the salary cap. But Fletcher believes the side is now good enough to make the top eight and that confidence within the club is sky high. "The young players are talking a lot more and they're talking footy a lot. Last year there wasn't much talk about footy. It was the furthest thing from our minds because it was such a drag to go to training," he said. "It was something I wouldn't go through again but I reckon the guys that were there are probably better for it because they know how hard it is. Maybe last year when it was 18-12 against Cronulla on Saturday we would have got beat 34-28 but our young blokes are now starting to believe that they can match it with other teams. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/05/1081017106934.html 4 April 2004 The Rabbitohs are sitting in equal first position on the competition ladder after thrashing the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 36 points to 12 in Round Four action tonight (Saturday) at Aussie Stadium in front of a crowd of 11,017 fans. The Rabbitohs played consistent, dominating football for the full 80 minutes, frustrating the Sharks and capitalising on the opportunities presented to them. The Sharks were scoreless in the second half, with Sharks' five-eighth Greg Bird getting sent off in the 65th minute for a deliberate knee to the face of Shane Marteene. The Sharks put the first points on the board through a Phil Bailey try, however Souths struck back immediately through returning second-rower Justin Smith who carried two Sharks over the line to score under the posts. Brett Kearney was the next to score for the Rabbits after scooting 85 metres to score under the black dot after blocking a Brett Kimmorley grubber kick. Willie Peters converted the try to give the Rabbitohs a six-point buffer. Hassan Saleh again tied the scores with a try to the Cronulla side before Mark Minichiello charged over the line in the dying minutes of the first half to give the South Sydney side an 18-12 lead going into the break. Luke MacDougall scored the first of his three tries in the 45th minute, touching down 5 centimetres inside the left hand touchline, giving Souths a 10-point lead. MacDougall scored scored again in the same corner, bumping off two defenders to extend the lead to 14 points. Shane Marteene then scored a much-deserved try after hitting a Willie Peters pass at pace in the 71st minute. Justin Smith converted to give the Rabbitohs a 20-point advantage. Luke MacDougall then scored his, and the Rabbitohs', final try for the night after Brad Watts bamboozled the defence and fired a wide pass to MacDougall to score. The final score of 36-12 was indicative of the dominance of the Rabbitohs. The Sharks had no answers to Souths' enthusiasm and ability on the night. The Rabbitohs at times looked like the Warriors of old, throwing the ball around at will with miracle passes coming off and leading to line breaks and tries. It would be unfair to single out any one Souths player, with all players contributing to the win. This victory puts the Rabbitohs on six competition points from four rounds, and puts them in equal first position on the ladder. The Rabbitohs next game is against the Parramatta Eels on Easter Monday at 3pm at Parramatta Stadium. South Sydney Rabbitohs 36 (Luke MacDougall 3, Justin Smith, Brett Kearney, Mark Minichiello, Shane Marteene tries; Justin Smith 2, Willie Peters 2 goals) defeated Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12 (Phil Bailey, Hassan Saleh tries; Brett Kimmorley 2 goals) http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=676 Souths captain Bryan Fletcher declared finals football was not beyond his side last night as signs of a Rabbitohs revival emerged for the first time since they re-entered the competition in 2001. After leading 18-12 at the break a spirited Rabbitohs outfit totally outplayed the Sharks in the second half to secure their second successive win and a spot in the top eight after a month of football. After the game Fletcher said he couldn't believe the final 36-12 scoreline, and there was a feeling in the club that it is building to something special. "I think it [the finals] is a realistic chance," he said. "We're giving ourselves a chance - one of the things we learnt out there tonight was how to win. But there's still 22 rounds to go so ask me again in 20 weeks." Three second-half tries to Adam MacDougall sent the crowd of 11,017 mostly Souths fans into raptures. The Rabbitohs faithful cheered on their red and green heroes like they were celebrating a 21st premiership win. What was a close contest turned into a thrashing when Sharks five-eighth Greg Bird was sent off for a shocking incident in the 64th minute with the score at 22-12. Bird deliberately kneed Souths winger Shane Marteene in the head as he got up to play the ball, and referee Tony Archer had no hesitation in sending him from the field. Fletcher said it was a cowardly act. Sharks coach Stuart Raper refused to comment. Either way Bird is sure to receive an extended stint on the sideline via the judiciary after one of the most disgraceful acts seen in the NRL for years. Souths coach Paul Langmack pointed to his side's consistent performances over their first three games as proof that things are different at Redfern this year. "We're getting better each week," Langmack said. "Our defence in the second half was great. We showed the way we played against the Roosters we're a good side. "I'm proud of the way we're progressing. We'll still be favourites to win the wooden spoon but that's fine - we like being the underdogs. "We played some pretty good football, and our defence has improved dramatically from last year. That was our major problem. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/03/1080941731964.html Luke MacDougall scored a hattrick of tries to help Souths break a 10-year hoodoo with a 36-12 upset victory over Cronulla at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night. The Rabbitohs hadn't beaten the Sharks since 1994 but they completely outplayed and out-enthused their ill-disciplined opponents in front of more than 11,000 fans. South Sydney fans were delirious at their side's back-to-back wins, and they will be crowing even more with a revelation on Saturday night from Luke's older brother Adam that he planned to continue beyond 2004 with the foundation club. Former international Adam MacDougall has a one-year deal with Souths but after his new side's impressive victory, he indicated he hoped to be around for a while yet. "This club has a great future and I believe we're only two players away from being a force," said MacDougall, who also expressed his disappointment at being snubbed by Australian selectors after being omitted from the 25-man squad for this month's test against New Zealand. "I didn't want people to think I came here for the money. "There's a good chance I'll look to re-sign for a couple more years in the next couple of weeks." Rabbitohs coach Paul Langmack joked that he couldn't wait to get to the post-match press conference, feeling "relaxed and happy" for the first time this season. Sharks coach Stuart Raper lamented his team's poor discipline after his players conceded 14 penalties to Souths' four. Five-eighth Greg Bird must surely be facing a stint on the sideline after he was sent off in the 66th minute for kneeing winger Shane Marteene in the head with Cronulla trailing 12-22. Raper wouldn't comment on the matter but when told TV commentators had described the act as cowardly, Souths skipper Bryan Fletcher replied: "Well said". Cronulla was dealt a further blow when utility Michael Sullivan was placed on report for a high shot on Adam MacDougall in the 65th minute. http://onesport.nzoom.com/sport_detail/0,1278,265379-2-19,00.html South Sydney broke a 10-year hoodoo tonight with a 36-12 upset victory over Cronulla in the NRL match at Aussie Stadium highlighted by a hat-trick of tries to Rabbitohs winger Luke MacDougall. The Rabbitohs had not beaten Cronulla since 1994 but they completely outplayed and dominated their opposition in front of more than 11,000 fans. Second-rower Justin Smith and halfback Willie Peters also shone for Souths, who will be equal first on the competition ladder, at least for the next 24 hours. Sharks five-eighth Greg Bird didn't help his team's cause when he was sent off by referee Tony Archer for kneeing winger Shane Marteene in the head with Cronulla trailing 12-22 in the 66th minute. Just one minute later the Rabbitohs took advantage of Bird's dismissal when MacDougall secured his double. Souths led 26-12 and it was all over four minutes later when Marteene bagged his own try. MacDougall got a hat-trick of second half tries - all scored in the left corner - two minutes before fulltime as Souths pulled off a deserved 24-point victory. The Sharks were dealt a further blow when utility Michael Sullivan was placed on report for a high shot on Rabbitohs centre Adam MacDougall in the 65th minute. Their coach Stuart Raper will be furious with his team's ill-discipline as the Sharks were caned 14-4 in the penalty count. Souths held a surprise 18-12 halftime lead following tries to Justin Smith (21m), Brett Kearney (31m) and Mark Minichiello, who crossed one second before the break. The disappointing Sharks lacked creativity and could only manage tries to Phil Bailey (17m) and winger Hassan Saleh (35m), a late replacement for Matt Rieck (hamstring). Souths opened the scoring five minutes after the resumption, with Luke MacDougall flying on to an Ashley Harrison grubber http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?ID=8242 South Sydney have won a drama charged and sometimes spiteful match 36-12 over an extremely disappointing Cronulla side at Aussie Stadium this evening. The lowlight of the match was the send off of Sharks five eighth Greg Bird for a deliberate knee to the face of South�s winger Shane Marteene. Referee Tony Archer was left with no option other than to march Bird who will face a lengthy suspension once he fronts the NRL judiciary next week. The highlight was South�s performance and the hat trick to Luke Macdougall, which was well deserved and hard earned. South�s showed a resolve not seen in the myrtle and green for many years and the Rabbitoh�s senior players all lifted the side at crucial times to ensure the Bunnies always remained in control. Bryan Fletcher, Adam Macdougall and Willie Peters all had outstanding games for South's while some of the younger players including Glen Hall, Mark Minichello and Luke Macdougall all made significant contributions to South�s victory and make no mistake, the Rabbitoh�s are not a team to be taken lightly this year as the look to find a new beneficiary for the wooden spoon and on form, their opponents from tonight�s match would be deserving of such an award. Cronulla on the other hand have a lot of soul searching to do and tonight�s performance ranks up there with their disgraceful effort against the Eels last year and the Sharks are by far the most undisciplined side in the NRL. Stuart Raper must be wondering how he can turn this rabble around and make them competitive on a weekly basis, let alone think about making the top eight. http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article/articletemp.asp?num=4653 South Sydney 36 Cronulla 12 NOT even the sending off of Sharks five-eighth Greg Bird could take the gloss off South Sydney's rousing win last night. The Rabbitohs made it back-to-back wins for the first time in two years and were well on the way to victory before Bird's brain explosion when he appeared to knee a Souths player in the head. The dismissal simply made a bird of it for the Rabbitohs, with winger Luke MacDougall bagging a hat-trick of tries. Players who should have known better were sniping at referee Shayne Hayne and Sharks coach Stuart Raper has plenty of work to do before next week's match against the Cowboys. Souths coach Paul Langmack has no such worries, with his team just one win away from matching their output for all of last season. Souths took a deserved 18-12 lead to the break in a half in which they showed great spirit. The Sharks looked as if they may cut loose through Brett Kimmorley, but the Rabbitohs hung on to thwart their rivals before storming home to take the lead with a great team try to second-rower Mark Minichiello one second before halftime. Cronulla looked like scoring first in the opening five minutes when Dean Bosnich ran through a big gap 15 out from the Rabbitohs line, only to be denied by fullback Adam MacDougall. It was Souths' turn to look dangerous next when countless replays were needed before Shane Rigon was denied a try from a smart Ashley Harrison chip. Targetting young Sharks right winger David Simmons, Harrison kicked from dummy-half and Luke MacDougall leapt high, only to knock the ball forward before Rigon claimed a try. The first try came in the 17th minute when Kimmorley laid on a great ball for Phil Bailey 10 metres from the Souths line. The try came after Souths' reserve forward Justin Smith was penalised for a late hit on Kimmorley after the Sharks captain attempted a clearing kick. Smith redeemed himself shortly after, charging through for Souths' opening try. The Rabbitohs then scored again when young five-eighth Brett Kearney trapped a Kimmorley grubber and charged 90m to score for a 12-6 lead. http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,9185101-23214,00.html South Sydney have had a barnstorming 36-12 win over the Cronulla Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium. Showing a maturity not often seen by the Rabbitohs, they scored seven tries to two against a ragged and undisciplined Sharks outfit. The game was a stop-start affair with 19 penalties awarded and the video referee being called on to adjudicate eight times. The 15-4 penalty count went against Cronulla. The low point of the game came in the 65th minute when Cronulla five-eighth Greg Bird was marched for kneeing Souths winger Shane Marteene in the head as he tried to get up from a tackle. Replays showed Bird raised his knee into the face of Marteene and referee Tony Archer had no hesitation sending Bird off. The first half saw the lead change three times with Souths eventually going into the break 18-12. Cronulla opened strongly with a try to Phil Bailey after Brett Kimmorley held the ball up 15 metres out and put Bailey into a gap. Souths replied with a try to second rower Justin Smith who took it on himself to drag two Sharks defenders 10 metres to score under the posts. Ten minutes later Rabbitohs half Brett Kearney picked up a Brett Kimmorley grubber and ran 92 metres to score and put Souths in front 12-6. Cronulla replied four minutes later with winger Hasan Saleh scoring out wide after Mark Minichiello dropped the ball in a heavy two-man tackle. The Sharks kept the ball alive and passed out wide for Saleh to score in the far left hand corner. Kimmorley converted the try from the sideline and both sides looked set to go into the break at 12-12 with four minutes remaining. Souths however refused to ease into the break and 20 metres out from the Cronulla line Adam MacDougall ran to the Cronulla defence, attracted two defenders and passed wide to Minichiello who ran into the gap and slammed the ball on the try line. After half-time the flood gates opened for Souths with Luke MacDougall scoring a hat trick of tries and Shane Marteene chiming in with one. http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/s1080551.htm |
