Uncool Dad’s Round 10 Recap
I love Magic Round. I know it’s really just a regular round of footy but there’s something about it that really appeals to me. Just having a bunch of league heads all together for a festival of footy sounds fantastic. The atmosphere always draws me in and I always end up watching this round very closely. Possibly the only thing bad about it would be the XXXX Gold at the stadium! A beer which isn’t bad for one or two but not something for drinking all day unless you’re a weird Queenslander. One day I’ll get there… Let’s recap another exciting round with an extended look at the amazing win by our Rabbitohs.
Friday
Raiders v Dogs
Magic round was away with the Raiders taking on the Doggies for the early Friday game. Canberra started on fire and were running in tries at will whilst Canterbury looked to be really struggling. However, something you can always rely upon in league is the Raiders blowing a lead and soon their 16-0 lead was narrowed to single figures. The match then became a see-sawing contest with the Raiders eventually gaining the win. Even though the scoreline ended closely it seemed to be that Canberra were the better side. 4 in a row for Canberra now and they’re starting to look good. The Doggies remain willing and offer more than most in the bottom quarter of the ladder.
Broncos v Sea- Eagles
The Sea-Eagles were more like Shot Ducks in the late Friday match. Without their toughest forward in Jake Trbojevic and his brother playing on one leg the Broncos ran riot. This was seriously ugly stuff for the Manly side as Brisbane scored tries for fun. With Haas and Mam back, the home side were making up for last week’s dismantling at the hands of the Rabbitohs. Brisbane looked very good again and you have to wonder if there was a bit of added inspiration with Siebold being the opposing coach. I don’t think his time at the Broncos was a happy one for anyone involved.
Saturday
Warriors v Panthers
It was very much a Super Saturday at Suncorp for Day 2 of Magic Round. The afternoon match saw an interesting clash between the tough, improved Warriors and the two-time premiers who were staring at the third straight loss. This would have been something completely alien to the Penrith side as they’ve been mostly unstoppable for a long time now. The game was tight. The Warriors showed the resilience that is now weekly and Penrith also ground away well. The Panthers are not finding things anywhere near as easy without Koroisau and a few others. Their reliance on Cleary and Yeo is very obvious but this time it worked.
Dolphins v Sharks
The Saturday crowd started to swell for Game 2. Even though it was a Sharks home game, everyone was on board the Dolphins bandwagon. The new side responded accordingly and raced to an unbelievable 30-0 lead! Cronulla’s form up till this game had been very impressive but they were made to look very ordinary by the Dolphins. A few late consolation tries made the scoreline slightly more acceptable but really this was a trouncing. Like most, I tipped Cronulla but in hindsight the Dolphins’ performance made perfect sense. It was Bennett’s 900th game as a coach and of course they were going to be up for it. It’s not as if we haven’t seen this all happen before.
Souths v Storm
Suncorp Stadium was heaving for the main event match between the Storm and the Rabbitohs. As a Souths fan, it makes me proud just to be considered for these big clashes that everyone can’t wait to watch as for a long time we were nowhere near this sort of stage.
This match had a real semi-final-like type feel and the start was electric. Both sides were going at full pelt and it was end to end stuff. Souths scored first after some quick thinking from Latrell putting in a beautiful kick for Cody to score. A great start for the Bunnies and you could tell that we were on once again despite our tough draw to start the season.
It wasn’t too much longer and Jacob Host crashed over for Souths’ second try after a sensational ball from Walker. This try was so well constructed it really was undefendable.
The Storm got a lucky one from a kick just before half time to bring the score back to 12-6. Let’s face it, it wouldn’t be a Souths game without an opposition try just before the break!
No Sniff For Melbourne
Even though only up by 6 at the break, the Rabbitohs looked the better side in the first half. This trend continued in the second with Souths not even giving Melbourne a sniff. Two tries came for 200 game champion winger Alex Johnston after some scintillating lead-up work from Walker and Mitchell. Tass grabbed another one in similar fashion late with the Storm tactic of rushing up on our left-side backs being about as successful as their attempt to cheat the salary cap. It really was very satisfying to get a big win against a team we always seem to struggle against.
All these great tries scored by our backs wouldn’t happen without the effort of our forwards. Once again, they were superior and relentless. Arrow, Tom, Hame, Junior, Murray and the returning Knight were all brilliant in the middle. In my opinion the Rabbitohs have the best forward rotation in the NRL.
Obviously I’m completely biased but a take-out I got from Saturday’s games is that the NSW selectors really have to consider Cody for selection. After watching Luai scutter across the field like a long-haired crab and Hynes getting dominated by the Dolphins it’s clear he’s the best option. Obviously they’re not going to unseat Cleary but his preference towards Jarome holds everyone back. If they’re serious about winning, Walker and Reynolds are your guys.
Sunday
Tigers v Dragons
Onto Sunday and the first match was the Tigers taking on the Dragons. Despite their lowly positions on the ladder there was still plenty of interest in this. Both sides are popular and Wests had the chance to go back-to-back for the first time in a long time. In the end, the Tigers hung on for a 2 point win but it was anyone’s game. Once again, crucial errors cost St George-Illawarra late and it was a case of the other side having more desire to win. I’d say that will be the end of Coach Griffin. I have nothing against the guy but the Dragons are going nowhere fast and need some new direction.
Cowboys v Roosters
The 4 o’clock match had comp heavyweights the Roosters taking on the battling Cowboys. The Roosters had looked to have found some form whilst North Queensland had been one of the worst sides of 2023. Every man and his dog would have been on the Roosters here but you can’t discount anyone on their day in the NRL. North Queensland were rock solid and the Roosters were flat as pancakes. If it wasn’t for a very late try the Roosters would have laid a duck egg. Coach Robinson who was sitting on the sideline raged internally after every Roosters blunder, his head becoming more redder than usual.
Eels v Titans
To end Magic Round for another year the Eels took on the Titans. Both teams were last start winners and like to score points so it promised to be an entertaining finish. The Suncorp pitch was starting to resemble the outdoor parking area out at the SCG but that didn’t stop both sides putting on a show. The improved Titans were able to hold out Parra by 2 to grab their fifth win for the year. I’m not sure if they even won that many games in total last year? They’re looking good whilst the Eels really need to start stringing some wins together.
Join me next week for Uncool Dad’s Round 11 Recap on Bunnies TV where we are back to a regular round of footy with a Thursday night kick off. I’ve got a feeling Origin teams may be announced concluding the round so it will be interesting to see what transpires there…
Uncool Dad’s Round 10 Recap.
By Greg Allan for Bunnies TV.
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