SOUTHS SURVIVE THE HAIL MARY!
Dolphins will get one final chance with the ball.
Gray fields the bomb!
Dolphins are entering a miracle territory.
Hand over and the Phins have to come out of the cage.
Dolphins come up with an error coming out of their own end.
They call it a strip and it is NO TRY !
VIDEO REF: Gee has NO TRY looking for what caused the ball to come out.
Keppie comes from the ground.
Really important period of the game!
Tupou loses the ball in a good bit of defence from Campbell Graham.
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki has failed his HIA.
Oh no Lachie Hubner goes for the roll ball.
Big kick from Humphreys and he has just dragged it to the right.
After several errors from both sides threatened to take the game into a tough slog, the Rabbitohs capitalised on some field position and worked play over to the left as Humphreys and Gray combine with Jack Wighton who finds Isaiah Tass to score in the left corner.
How has Jye Gray been denied there? Great scramble from the Dolphins.
SIX TO GO FOR SOUTHS!
Great carry Tallis Duncan.
Forget the Dolphins taking the ball back, Sean O'Sullivan loses it!
CHALLENGE SUCCESSFUL - Kaufusi is vindicated - no high shot indicated!
PENALTY SOUTHS: High tackle says Adam Gee and they are challenging this one.
Junior Tupou was thinking a step ahead there - he thought about the finish before the catch.
Jai Arrow has been split in the lip.
As a result of that, the Dolphins start with the ball inside Souths territory.
Biggest defensive set of the game!
Big leap from Wighton and he comes down with it.
Big effort from Junior Tupou going to ground!
PENALTY PHINS: Inside 10m.
Oh it's hit the upright and it's no good!
PENALTY SOUTHS: Farnworth pinned for an over-reaction.
Herbie Farnworth is crunched by former team-mate Lachlan Hubner.
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki with a Cat 2 HIA assessment.
PENALTY SOUTHS: Shot clock violation.
Dolphins chance their arms on the ground and they have lost the ball with Tupou.
That is an even better defensive set from this Dolphins side. Would've loved to be a fly on the wall in the Phins sheds.
Great set post points for the Dolphins.
Moving in, Isaako's kick is good! Dolphins have the lead for the first time in this contest.
Off another Souths error, the Dolphins continued to camp down the South Sydney end. A ricochet off Campbell Graham allowed Herbie Farnworth to get within metres of the line. From the ensuing play, a Rabbitohs defensive breakdown saw Max Plath beat the Graham tackle to level the scores at 12-12.
SIX MORE PHINS: Ruck infringement.
Souths are imploding a little to start the half - another error.
Dolphins complete their set post points.
Isaako has left his goal kicking boots back in Redcliffe. Wide right.
The Dolphins capitalised on an early Tallis Duncan error to cross for the first of the second half. A beautiful cut-out pass from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow hit Isaako on the chest as he raced away for his second of the contest.
Referee Gee rules a lack of balance and control from Tallis Duncan.
Ball pops out of the grasp of Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
Tyrone Munro injury update - they are suspecting another collarbone injury for the young man (via Jake Duke).
Crash play is called forward - nothing really going right for the Dolphins.
WIGHTON! Sends Herbie Farnworth back to Brisbane with that hit.
Challenge is successful as we don't have a penalty anymore - it becomes a scrum.
PENALTY DOLPHINS: Offisde is the ruling but hang on! We have our first captain's challenge thanks to Bundaberg Rum.
Looks like Tyrone Munro (the double hero) hasn't come back for half-time.
Back underway, Jayden Sullivan is ON, looks like he is at right centre with Graham at right wing on first obseration.
HALF-TIME from CommBank: Souths 12 leading Dolphins 4.
The game management from Jamie Humphreys has been the story of the first half!
We've had a lot of penalties but the intensity has been there throughout the opening half. Only a few errors halting play.
Great mark from Keaon Koloamatangi ! Nice scramble from the Tongan international.
Jake Averillo goes for a chip and chase and Jye Gray commits and gets the ball out of danger. Gray has been immense for the Bunnies to start this one.
Souths just playing like they are ahead of the game at the moment. Controlling the field position and making it hard for the Dolphins to come out of their own end.
Daniel Saifiti has passed his HIA and will return!
Jamie Humphreys really being a game manager out here for Souths, kicking for placement across the CommBank Stadium turf.
Dolphins defence survive and hangs on in the face of intense South Sydney attack.
PENALTY SOUTHS: High tackle.
Humpheys adds the extras.
The kicks were proving to be a problem for both sides. This time the Dolphins struggled to take the Humphries bomb as Munro toed it ahead and won the race to ground the ball first.
Daniel Saifiti will come from the field under the HIA protocols.
PENALTY SOUTHS: Duncan comes on and earns his side a penalty for a slow peel.
Max Plath looking at home on the left edge, was a bit uncertain how that would play out but he is defensively sound and looking dangerous as he carries the ball. Dolphins complete their set post points!
No goal from the right sideline, Souths lead 6-4.
The Dolphins dominated the next portion of the game and crossed back midway through the first half. In a play that would've had the Harlem Globetrotters proud, there was two kicks, it went through several sets of hands before Jamayne Isaako crossed out wide in the corner.
Jai Arrow and Lachlan Hubner giving it their all in the opening quarter. They are tackling everything that moves.
Greg Alexander is lost for words on why the CommBank surface is chewing up on most cutbacks by the players after being critical of the Allianz Stadium turf last night.
Junior Tupou going for the corner is BUNDLED over the sideline, great scramble from the 'home side' and Souths get a reward for their scramble in defence.
SIX MORE DOLPHINS: Ruck infringement.
PENALTY DOLPHINS: Inside 10m - Cody Walker "nowhere near it" according to our referee and the Dolphins get back into the Rabbitohs half.
PENALTY DOLPHINS: Jack Wighton pinned for tunneling through Isaiya Katoa to get to the contest.
Dolphins give it straight back in good ball territory.
Jye Gray comes up with the mistake on the last tackle.
Great strike from Humphreys in his maiden Souths start and the Bunnies lead 6-0.
Following a back-and-forth start. Sustained possession allowed South Sydney to camp inside the Dolphins 20m line. Some great passing created the extra man and Tyrone Munro crossed out-wide for the home side.
SIX AGAIN SOUTHS: Too slow against Gilbert.
PENALTY SOUTHS: Inside 10m
PENALTY DOLPHINS: Peter Mamouzelos pinned for misconduct.
Jamie Humphreys caught with the ball on the last and we have a push and shove.
Jye Gray almost getting past the left hand defence but the Phins scrambled brilliantly!
Pass goes forward out of dummy half and the Dolphins make the first error of the contest. Hammer throws it forward to Averillo.
Real physical encounter early. Nice hit and spin by Tom Gilbert in his return to the NRL for the first time since Origin 2023!
Great start with the boot from Jamie Humphreys - caught Jamayne Isaako into the Parramatta Bermuda Triangle.
Dolphins with the first attacking kick. Great defusal from Jye Gray.
UNDERWAY! Adam Gee blows time on and Souths get first use of it running from right to left.
Here come the two teams out onto CommBank Stadium. No surprises that the crowd is a little low given the late change in venue ! We are having a moments silence for Gary Stephens.
AJ Lucantonio is subbing in for this one, great to be with you for the second time in the opening round ! Referee tonight is 2023 Grand Final referee Adam Gee in NRL game number 263. Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski and Nick Pelgrave have the flags. Ashley Klein is back from Vegas in the Bunker.
"Stone the flamin' crows! Get outta here you little cyclone!" - Alf Stewart probably. Welcome to CommBank Stadium for this Round 1 fixture between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Dolphins. For the first time since 2020, Souths are at home for their season opener. Tropical Cyclone Alfred has led to the game being postponed and several withdrawals. Kodi Nikorima and Mark Nicholls have opted to remain behind and help their families. Sean O'Sullivan and Josh Kerr come in while Oryn Keeley is 18th man. Souths are as per program.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee
Touch Judges: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Nick Pelgrave
Video Referee: Ashley Klein
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (16)
Tries: Tyrone Munro (2), Isaiah Tass
Conversions: Jamie Humphreys (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Jamie Humphreys (0/1)
DOLPHINS (14)
Tries: Jamayne Isaako (2), Max Plath
Conversions: Jamayne Isaako (1/3)