FULLTIME. The Red V hold on for victory in an incredible match.
Pushes and shoves late on after a Rabbitohs error effectively ends the contest. 15 seconds remaining.
Taaffe's effort goes wide. Souths' only hope now is golden point.
SOUTH SYDNEY SCORE AGAIN! SAME PLAY, ONE TACKLE EXTRA BUT GRAHAM SCORES THIS TIME. WHAT IS GOING ON AT KOGARAH?!!?!
All the clock stoppages mean that Taaffe's conversion reduces the gap to ten points - surely there's no miracle here?
Graham finds space down the right touchline; Ilias running in support picks up the inside pass and runs the rest of the way.
Way too late but Taaffe has an easier kick and hammers it over comfortably.
Havili offloads despite attention, Host on the back of a string of passes then crashes over for a late four-pointer.
Challenge fails. Souths ball - looking for a consolation try.
Dragons with a Captains Challenge on a knock on deep in their own half after attempting a short drop-out...
Lomax hammers over his sixth goal from seven this afternoon.
Up the middle, Ben Hunt to Sloan, who finds space before putting Jaiyden Hunt into the clear for the Dragons' sixth try.
Another CHALLENGE from Souths and it's unsuccessful this time. Dragons ball after an error by the Bunnies.
CAPTAINS CHALLENGE: Souths challenging a lost ball. Damien Cook says it was knocked back. The Bunker says... successful challenge. Souths get the ball back.
Souths error from Hawkins and the fire is just about out for the Rabbits you'd think. Dragons scrum on their own 30m.
Lomax hammers the conversion over and the Dragons have double the points of their opposition now.
Michael Molo goes over with barely a finger laid on him under the sticks, diving over from close range.
Souths lose it again and invite the Red V for another go at the line. Dodgy handling on a fine afternoon, really.
Dragons force a drop-out... Hawkins pots it short and SOUTHS GET IT BACK! Crucial play for the visitors.
A Rabbitohs error on their own 30m, early in the set, and the Dragons have a scrum. A try here for the home team could just about seal victory.
Lomax restores the home team's ten point lead.
Su'A scores against his own club and the Dragons are looking the goods here!
Tass runs a blocker on Zac Lomax to allow Johnston a clean catch. Dragons penalty inside the Rabbitohs' 20m!
Taaffe's luck turns! He strikes it, hits the post and goes in!
...TRY TIME. Tass gets the four pointer with the Red V defence out of sorts.
Cook with a HUGE break down the right edge but the chase gets him. Next play...
Lomax extends the lead to ten points with 28 minutes remaining.
Liddle reaches out from dummy half, on his knees, but gets there!
CAPTAINS CHALLENGE - SUCCESSFUL. Ravalawa ruled to have lost it initially but a review finds a strip and a Dragons penalty.
Both sides making good metres per set. Hunt's last tackle kick at 44 minutes is aimed for Sullivan to run through onto it but Taaffe is wise to it.
Less than a minute into this second half and Su'A has come up with an error on his own 30m. Souths scrum.
We're back on after a tee misfire. Ilias hammers it down and the Dragons have first use through Blake Lawrie.
Dragons with the ball in the final minute of the half, no luck. The ball goes out off a Lomax grubber and play doesn't restart. Saints by four.
Taaffe with another tough assignment, this time from the other touchline to the first attempt - and still no good.
Bizarre passage of play with a ball going up on the left side, and it came down with Keaon Koloamatangi - no Dragons interest? He scores with little resistance on the left edge.
Lomax pushes the margin to eight points as halftime looms.
Whistle-happy Ben Cummins with another penalty, the Dragons will go for two points to give their home fans more to cheer about.
No dice for the Dragons, but an attempted offload sees Damien Cook pounce on the loose ball, and the Rabbitohs are off the hook.
No dice for the Dragons, but an attempted offload sees Damien Cook pounce on the loose ball, and the Rabbitohs are off the hook.
Penalty Dragons, Kennar high shot. Gotta take advantage of the opportunity to drive home their dominance the Dragons.
Short drop-out defused by the home team. Big chance now, full set from 10m out.
Johnston pounces on a Hunt grubber despite the attention of Lomax and Ravalawa. It's still a drop-out though.
Michael Chee Kam is ON REPORT for a dangerous tackle. Dragons penalty bringing them into the Bunnies' danger zone.
Sloan is thinking too far ahead and can't take a Ben Hunt pass.
Ben Hunt gets a messy kick away at the end of the set and it finds Taaffe, but not until after a nerve-racking moment where he tried trapping the ball with his foot and then dribbles close to the sideline. He gets back to it and the Bunnies work it out of their own end.
ZL hits the post. Margin remains at six.
OFFICIAL: Saturday afternoon footy is a sell-out at Kogarah.
Numbers to the right and Ben Hunt spies the edge weakness, Sloan finding Ravalawa who jumps inside and over a defender to score the second for the home team.
Two tackles into the return set and the Dragons earn their second penalty, with Koloamatangi slow to release.
Lomax puts the home team in front by two.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Mat Feagai bursts into space, looks trapped but somehow turns an inside-out ball to Ben Hunt in support who treads the light fantastic down the sideline and races to the line for the home side's first try of the day.
A penalty one tackle into that set for the Dragons - their first of the day - earns a bronx cheer from the crowd. They'll start the new set near halfway.
Somehow Damien Cook ends up in space down the right sideline - he's chased down by Jayden Sullivan but puts a kick in... which bounces dead. Dragons 20m restart.
Ben Cummins with blowing the third penalty of the day - again to the Bunnies. A flop from the Dragons' defender.
Taaffe from the touchline... misses.
Numbers to the right and a simple try for Kennar.
Souths with their second penalty of the game, Alex Johnston drawing an offside defender inside his own 40m to earn his side the kick for touch.
Ilias tries to send Host through a gap but he's met in a good tackle and spills it forward 10m from the Dragons line. Red V back with it deep in their own territory.
A half-break from Suli puts Sloan into some space but he can't take it cleanly. Souths scrum on halfway.
'Trell shows up on the big screen - and knows it. Flashes a peace sign to the camera.
Solid end-to-end start for both sides, but the Bunnies pick up a penalty at the start of their second set, a Dragons high shot.
We're underway at Kogarah, nice sunny day in the south-eastern suburbs of the NSW capital.
A quick recap of the teams if you missed them - a few changes for both teams.
Kickoff about ten minutes away. Red V vs Cardinal and Myrtle.#NRLDragonsSouths Late Mail: https://t.co/7rtXCqvnOg pic.twitter.com/RygQlfeG3I
— LeagueUnlimited.com (@LeagueUnlimited) June 10, 2023
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ben Cummins
Touch Judges: Jon Stone, Cameron Paddy
Video Referee: Matt Noyen
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (36)
Tries: Ben Hunt, Mikaele Ravalawa, Jacob Liddle, Jaydn Su'A, Michael Molo, Jaiyden Hunt
Conversions: Zac Lomax (5/6)
Penalty Goals: Zac Lomax (1/1)
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (30)
Tries: Richard Kennar, Keaon Koloamatangi, Isaiah Tass, Jacob Host, Lachlan Ilias, Campbell Graham
Conversions: Blake Taaffe (3/6)