Warriors embarrass
gutless Rabbitohs

Round 16
South Sydney Rabbitohs 0 v New Zealand Warriors 66
at Telstra Stadium
Referees: Gavin Badger

Match Summary:
The Warriors have put the so-called ?Pride of the league? to shame with a record breaking 66-0 demolition job of a gutless South Sydney Rabbitohs team. The Warriors were up 32-0 at half time and never looked like losing.

It took the Warriors 10 minutes to score first, Jerome Ropati running through non-existent defence to dot down. Three minutes later the Warriors were in again with Patrick Ah Van scoring in the corner for a 10-0 lead. The Warriors scored their third try ? to Simon Mannering ? when he simply palmed off a defender and put the ball down. The conversion made it 16-0 after 17 minutes. After 24 minutes Tony Martin went in in the corner for 20-0. Steve Price fell over the line after a Webb break for another six points. Three minutes later Lance Hohaia scored the first of his three tries with another Webb break up the middle, and Souths were booed from the field down 32-0 at half time.

Five minutes into the second half Lance Hohaia grabbed his second with a run from dummy half. At 50 minutes David Peachey was sin binned and the Warriors scored almost instantly afterwards as Webb scored almost untouched under the posts. Two minutes later Webb was in again after the Warriors spread the ball wide. The Warriors scored their third try with Peachey in the sin bin when Evarn Tuimavave dived on a Nathan Fien grubber, and it was 56-0 after 58 minutes. Paul Mellor had two chances to score for the Rabbitohs in quick succession, but he blew both of them. The Warriors dropped their intensity in the last 10 minutes, but still managed two more tries, Grant Rovelli grubbering across for Lance Hohaias hattrick, and Webb providing an inside ball to Ropati for the final 66-0 scoreline.

The official crowd was 6597, which is a bit of a stretch. It looked closer to 3500.

The result is a record win for the Warriors, eclipsing their 68-10 win over the Northern Eagles, and it is also a record loss for the Rabbitohs, overtaking their 62-0 loss to the Roosters. There is no excuse for the Rabbitohs, as the Warriors didn?t play extremely expansive, attacking football. They played simple, effective football that the Rabbitohs couldn?t match. The signings of three players are clearly not enough to turn this rabble around.

The Warriors are in very impressive form, finally putting three in a row together, 63 games after their last three game winning streak. They can also lay claim to the second best points differential in the league, but thanks to their four point salary cap penalty they remain outside the eight, although they have jumped the Roosters into 12th.

Scorers:
South Sydney Rabbitohs: 0
Tries:
New Zealand Warriors: 66
Tries: Lance Hohaia(3), Simon Mannering, Tony Martin, Steve Price, Jerome Ropati(2), Evarn Tuimavave, Brent Webb(2), Patrick Ah Van
Goals: Tony Martin 9/12

Halftime: Warriors 32-0
Crowd: 6,597

By the Clock:
Today from Telstra Stadium it is the Rabbitohs vs Warriors. Both sides are looking to break a hoodoo of some sort this weekend. The Warriors haven't won three in a row since late 2003, while the Rabbitohs haven't beaten the Warriors since 1999. The Warriors defeated the Rabbitohs 46-14 in Round 7.

The Warriors in silver today, the Rabbitohs in the usual red and green.

The Warriors have Luck off the bench for Guttenbiel, as is the norm. The Rabbitohs are 1-17.

Teams are on the field in front of a dismal crowd. A grey day at Telstra Stadium.

1 min: Underway at Telstra, and Souths kick the ball dead on the full.

3 min: The Warriors force a line dropout, from which the Rabbitohs looked to be all offside from the kick.

4 min: Luck can't maintain control of the ball off a kick in the in goal and the Rabbitohs get out of jail.

8 min: Souths finally venture into the Warriors half and a Warriors error gets the tackle count reset. Not much later Souths lose the ball.

10 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Price makes a bust, he passes to Fein who is taken down in a fantastic head on tackle by Peachey. Numbers show on the next play as the Warriors spread the ball and Ropati steps through the defence and runs 30 metres to score. Martin converts.
Warriors 6-0

13 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Souths lose the ball on tackle one 15 metres out from their own line. The Warriors spread the ball wide to an unmarked Patrick Ah Van who scores in the corner. Martin hooks the conversion.
Warriors 10-0

15 min: Warriors currently holding 73% of possession and making metres at will. Walker knocks on a Warriors pass on the last tackle, giving the Warriors yet more possession.

17 min: Sutton makes a brave defensive play knocking the ball down. The Warriors get possession 10 out, but it avoided an instant try.

17 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
This is going to be a parade at this rate. From the scrum the Warriors spin the ball to Mannering, he palms off a defender and scores easily. Martin converts.
Warriors 16-0

20 min: The Rabbitohs get a break as Price breaks the line again, and his offload to Webb, who was away, is ruled forward. The Rabbitohs go into touch from the scrum.

22 min: A crossfield bomb goes into touch off Souths, Warriors ball hot on attack again.

24 min: VIDEO REF - For a Warriors try....

24 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Warriors get the ball wide, Martin steps and scores in the corner. The conversion drops just short.
Warriors 20-0

26 min: Warriors make an error and Souths get the ball 40 out.

27 min: Souths get a line drop out. Things are looking up. Then they get a penalty for stripping, only to throw a clueless pass that is intercepted by Ah Van.

30 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Souths knock the ball down on the last tackle and they get six again. The Warriors move downfield again and Webb flicks the ball to Price who just had to fall over to score. Martin converts.
Warriors 26-0

33 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Break out a marching band. Webb slips through a non existant tackle, he breaks up the middle, offloads to Hohaia who races away to score under the uprights. Martin converts.
Warriors 32-0

36 min: Tony Martin dives on a loose ball 40 metres out. The Warriors make a rare error.

38 min: Souths kick ahead, pass back on the inside only 10 out, but spill the ball.

40 min: Halftime, and the Rabbitohs are being booed off the field.

The Warriors are up 32-0 without breaking a sweat. They aren't playing footy that looks like scoring regularly, but even this basic footy is too much for Souths to handle.

Possession: 70%/30% Warriors
Territory: 62%/38% Warriors
Metres gained: 880/330 Warriors
Line Breaks: 7/0 Warriors
Tackles-Mistackles: 152-20 Souths/96-3 Warriors
Offloads: 9/2 Warriors
Errors: 10/6 Souths

Some very telling statistics. Incredibly, this is the Rabbitohs worst first half of the season. This is the biggest half time lead of any game this season.

The teams return to the field.

40 min: The match restarts, Souths get first possession.

43 min: INJURY - Shane Walker down injured.

45 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Souths make an error on the last tackle. Hohaia takes the ball from dummy half and saunters 30 metres to score. Martin converts.
Warriors 38-0

49 min: The Warriors let the ball bounce on the last tackle, Souths regather, tap the ball across and then a no look pass ends up next to the touch judge.

50 min: SIN BIN - David Peachey goes for a professional foul.

51 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
After the penalty the Warriors move the ball, Rovelli offloads to Webb who walks through the Rabbitohs defence to score under the posts. Martin converts.
Warriors 44-0

53 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
The Warriors spin the ball wide to Ah Van who breaks down the sideline. He sends the ball back inside to Webb who picks up a double. Martin converts and the Warriors get to 50.
Warriors 50-0

55 min: Souths fans already talking the walk of shame out of the stadium.

58 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Fien rolls a nice, easy kick into the in goal and Tuimavave dives on the ball to score. Martin converts. Warriors headed for a record victory.
Warriors 56-0

61 min: Peachey returns from the sin bin.

63 min: Warriors enforce a drop out.

65 min: The Warriors have their first non-completion of the second half when they throw a forward pass.

67 min: Mellor knocks on reaching out to score. They can't take a trick.

68 min: Warriors get driven into touch and the Rabbitohs may be a half chance to get on the board. Paul Mellor knocks on again.

70 min: The Warriors have dropped their intensity, but they're still threatening.

72 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
Rovelli grubbers across field, it bounces up for Hohaia who dots the ball down out wide and he picks up at hat trick. Martin misses the conversion.
Warriors 60-0

74 min: CROWD - 6597. A pig just zoomed over the stadium.

78 min: TRY New Zealand Warriors
The Warriors go up the middle easily, Webb offloads to Ropati who scores under the posts. Worst Rabbitohs losing margin ever, best Warriors winning margin ever. Hang your heads Rabbitohs. Martin converts.
Warriors 66-0

FULLTIME: The Warriors put the Rabbitohs to shame, 66-0.
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Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 - Steve Price (Warriors)
2 - Grant Rovelli (Warriors)
1 - Nathan Fien (Warriors)
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