South Sydney record their first win of the season with 34-6 win over Manly in the wet

SOUTH Sydney have secured their first win of the season with a thumping 34-6 win over Manly in the wet at ANZ Stadium with winger Robert Jennings running in for three tries.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — MARCH 24: Richie Kennar of the Rabbitohs (C) celebrates a try with a team mate during the round three NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Manly Sea Eagles at ANZ Stadium on March 24, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

A BLISTERING performance from South Sydney fullback Alex Johnston has helped the Rabbitohs shock Manly 34-6 to win their first game of the season.

Johnston laid on two tries and raced 100 metres to score one of his own to cement himself in the Rabbitohs No.1 jersey at ANZ Stadium. While Rabbitohs coach Anthony Seibold has indicated skipper Greg Inglis will make the call on when he returns to the fullback role, Inglis may have to be content with staying in the centres a little while longer after Johnston’s starring role.

Inglis said the team was “set in its position” but they will sort out a move “when the time comes”.

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It was a terrific turnaround from Souths.

Johnston was the Rabbitohs best while the likes of Sam Burgess, Tom Burgess and Damien Cook played with Robert Jennings scoring a career first hat-trick to end the Rabbitohs losing streak.

Seibold said his first victory as an NRL coach was a “monkey off his back”.

“AJ was good,” Seibold said of Johnston. “He needed to improve from round one. He was better last week. He had some good touches.

“We showed glimpses in round one and last week in the first half defensively we were really good. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance in the second half.

“(It) was a comprehensive performance by the guys.”

It capped a remarkable come down for the Sea Eagles who just six days ago thumped Parramatta 54-0.

Like they have done in their opening two games, South Sydney scored the first try.

The Rabbitohs lead from start to finish.

A lovely Johnston cut out pass found Robert Jennings who scored on the Rabbitohs left after just three minutes.

After laying on the first try, Johnston would open his account for the season with a solo 100 metre effort. He scooped up a Daly Cherry-Evans grubber to race away untouched to give the Rabbitohs a 10-0 lead after just 13 minutes.

Winger Richie Kenner scored the next try after Brian Kelly fumbled a cross field kick.

While South Sydney did not do themselves any favours in the opening half after failing to complete each set after points, they replicated the 14-0 lead they held at half-time against the Panthers last week.

But this time there was no running the Rabbitohs down as Adam Doueihi in just his second match took charge of a Rabbitohs side minus Adam Reynolds – who Seibold said is at least another week away - at halfback.

There was none of Manly’s attacking spark from last week.

In almost identical fashion to the opening try, Johnston again threw a cut out pass to give Jennings another clear passage for his second try six minutes into the second half to extend their lead to 18.

Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett said his side were never in it.

“We were flat,” Barrett said. “They beat us in every department. They wanted it more. They were hungrier.

“It’s an attitude thing. We’re still a young team. if you’re off at all you get beat. It’s something we have to learn pretty quickly.

“We didn’t handle the conditions well. they bashed us through the middle of the ruck.

“At half-time we were quiet…A bit shellshocked.”

The Sea Eagles were given some hope when interchange hooker Jackson Hastings crashed over from dummy half but their joy was short-lived when Kennar had his second after claiming a Tom Trbojevic fumbled bomb.

The Rabbitohs left edge again exposed Manly duo Brad Parker and Aku Uate with Johnston this time using Inglis to provide the points for Jennings’ hat-trick before interchange player Hymel Hunt completed the seven try to one rout.

Fulltime SOUTH SYDNEY 34 (R Jennings 3 R Kennar 2 H Hunt A Johnston tries A Doueihi 3 goals) bt MANLY 6 (J Hastings try D Cherry-Evans goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Gavin Badger, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski.

Originally published as South Sydney record their first win of the season with 34-6 win over Manly in the wet