The Rabbitohs are potentially looking at being in a 0-2 hole to start the season, with a game against the Broncos on Thursday looming, and the task is set to be made a little harder with news today of a shoulder injury to star forward Jai Arrow.
Arrow is set to spend at least three to four weeks on the sideline, which is a big blow to a side already missing strike centre Campbell Graham.
“My understanding is that Arrow will miss the next three-four weeks. They’ll rehab as best as they can to get him back on the field but it’s a significant blow,” The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio said Tuesday on NRL 360.
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Souths were good in patches against Manly in Vegas in Round 1, but defensive lapses cost them late in the game.
Fullback Latrell Mitchell was one of the Rabbitohs’ best, but didn’t put in a 80 minute performance as veteran journalist Brent Read noted.
“He looked great for 60 minutes, but like the rest of the team, he fell apart the last 20. They need him playing for 80,” Read said.
“It looks like he needs help, he’s not a one-man band,” NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta added.
That led Riccio to name one other Souths player that needs to stand up this week in a big way if the Rabbitohs are going to have any chance of defeating Brisbane.
“I think that man has to be Cody Walker,” Riccio said.
“As much as he got onto the paddock in Las Vegas, there’s no denying his preparation was stymied due to his own injury battles to prove his fitness.
“With that run under his belt and when you watch the Bunnies train and when you talk about the best version of Latrell, I think Cody is the man that needs to step forward this week.”
The Rabbitohs looked to be in control of the match against the Sea Eagles, leading 20-12 after 48 minutes.
However, Souths leaked 24 unanswered Manly points within the next 27 minutes, which cost them any chance of a Round 1 win.
Paul Kent
“I just think they need to frontload their energy in defence. Souths are a team that’s a momentum team. When things are going well they charge, but when things are slowing down for them a little bit, they have to stay in the grind just a little bit more. Defensively that’s where they fall away,” he said.
“They fell away defensively against the Roosters (last season) That makes it hard to get their momentum back in their attack.
“That’s where it’s going to come but that’s a mental and effort thing. It’s not talented it is about rolling up the sleeves. It’s a mental adjustment.
“The good news for Souths fans is that it’s something that can be fixed. You can’t go and make your team faster or magically give them more talented but you can say to go and try a bit harder.
“So that’s where they have to go and get their game back. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes they play to me that they are waiting to get the ball back.”
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“They are very good downhill runners,” Read interjected.
“They are,” Kent said.
“The concern for Souths is that it’s happened in Round 1 and it happened last year so it wasn’t addressed enough over the off-season given on what we saw (against Manly).
“This week has to be a big week. If we don’t see a change, you have to reassess their season because you’ll be saying ‘well when will they fix it?’
“They know about it and if two games in if they are 0-2 and it’s the same thing that got them beat by the Broncos, then they are going to have some issues.”
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