NRL 2022: ‘Embarrassing’ performance motivating Lachlan Ilias for Rabbitohs vs Panthers preliminary final

Three weeks ago, Lachlan Ilias was embarrassed after being steamrolled by Angus Crichton. But the Souths star says the onslaught prepared him to shutdown Viliame Kikau.

Latrell Mitchell is a big-game specialist. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

By his own admission South Sydney halfback Lachlan Ilias was “embarrassed” when he was steamrolled repeatedly by Roosters backrower Angus Crichton earlier this month. His teammates noticed how down he was on himself too after the performance.

Crichton pinpointed Ilias in the defensive line and the rookie half struggled to contain him in the final match of the regular season.

Fast forward two weeks and Ilias has picked himself up off the ground and narrow in defensively on the big men coming his way. He is preparing for a Viliame Kikau onslaught on Saturday night with the Panthers back-rower expected to make a beeline for Ilias.

Lachlan Ilias says he was embarrassed after Angus Crichton steamrolled him in Round 25 and teammates noticed he was down on himself. Picture: Getty Images.

“A couple of weeks ago I was embarrassed,” Ilias said. “Angus Crichton did a good job on me. I am trying to get that part of my game right. It’s about being confident and knowing what I can do. The guys give me a lot of confidence inside and outside of me.

“I will have Kikau coming at me and it’s going to be a big challenge.”

Teammate Keaon Koloamatangi has been tasked with protecting Ilias. The Rabbitohs backrower said he had to do better to ensure Ilias was not isolated by opposite teams.

“I know he was a bit upset about it,” Koloamatangi said. “That‘s my bad as well. As a backrower you have to protect your half as well. That last round game I wasn’t at my best either.

“I have to work my arse off really. I have to watch my inside but as soon as a back rower gets the ball on Lachie I have to be there as fast as I can. He is a pretty big boy for a half. He has an eight-pack and everything, massive shoulders. We told him to use his shoulder. When you are a halfback the back rower‘s job is to get into you. He has done a great job the last two weeks, He has caused some errors and changed the momentum of the game.”

Ilias says the poor performance has motivated him to improve, as he prepares to face Viliame Kikau charging at him in Saturday’s preliminary final. Picture: Getty Images.

The Rabbitohs are preparing for Panthers wrecking ball Kikau. However Koloamatangi has vowed to try and stop his opposite.

“It is a massive challenge,” Koloamatangi said. “Every time we verse him I have to zero in on him and go after him. He is a massive part of their team. When he plays good, they kill teams, I have to try to minimise that. If I go after him, hopefully the result take care of itself.

“He is such a big body, so strong. We have to defend him as a unit and not let him get one-on-one.”

South Sydney’s famed left-edge receives plenty of plaudits but it was the right side which had great success against the Sharks last week.

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Ilias, Koloamatangi and outside backs Campbell Graham and Taane Milne dominated Cronulla with Milne scoring a double and Ilias a try of his own.

Ilias said their performance is based around defence.

“It’s getting our defence right,” he said. “Our right edge gains a lot confidence if we can defend well.”

LATRELL’S HUGE EDGE IN SUPERSTAR CLASH WITH CLEARY

—Brent Read and Fatima Kdouh

South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell has become rugby league’s big-game banker. A September sure thing.

Mitchell, preparing to square off against fellow superstar Nathan Cleary on Saturday night for a place in the grand final, is riding one of the hottest streaks in premiership history.

The Rabbitohs star has won eight of his past nine finals heading into Saturday night’s preliminary final. Remarkably, he has won seven of those on the bounce.

In the NRL era, only Melbourne and Sydney Roosters half Cooper Cronk has won more finals in succession – nine on the trot from 2017-2019.

Mitchell can match Cronk if he leads Souths to a premiership win this season. But standing in his way at Accor Stadium will be Cleary, the brains and brilliance behind Penrith’s all-conquering season.

It’s rugby league box office.

Latrell Mitchell is a big-game specialist. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“Nathan will beat you with the jab, Latrell will beat you with a knockout,” Cronk said.

“Right now they have every one of their teammates in their hands. I think both of them give belief to the players around them. The fact that Nathan can miss five weeks and Penrith just [pick up where they left off] – he’s like a pair of old shoes.

“It’s in slow motion for him at the moment. He’s very football smart. With Latrell, his stats aren’t super compared to other fullbacks.

“But it’s also the presence he has. Teams have heightened awareness when Latrell is around. He puts himself in position so that when a big moment needs to happen, he is there – like in 2019 with that flick pass.”

Mitchell and Cleary will almost certainly be teammates on the World Cup tour at the end of the year but their immediate goal is to stifle each other, knowing full well they are the most important players in their respective sides on Saturday night.

Mitchell starred for the Rabbitohs again last weekend as they brushed away Cronulla. Cleary had his feet up, enjoying a well earned weekend off.

“He’s got an x-factor, he’s very hard to handle when he is at his best,” Cleary said.

“It’s a challenge for us but in saying that, I thought Blake Taaffe did a great job in the finals series last year. He came on the scene and played well, but Latrell, he is one of a kind.

“We are going to have to be on our game. The thing about Latrell is he can pop up at any time, it’s just being aware of that and trying to contain him together.

“If you try and do it by yourself, there aren’t too many people that can go at him one-on-one and come off best.

“But it’s the same mentality with any superstar player, I think every team has got one. I have known Latrell for a while, we’ve played a lot against each other and I was lucky enough to play alongside him as well.

“There are not too many people who can do what he does on the field, he looks confident at the moment.”

Latrell Mitchell has a great record in big games. Picture: NRL Photos

Both have already tasted premiership success – Mitchell in 2019 with the Sydney Roosters and Cleary last year when he led Penrith to victory over Souths while Mitchell was serving a suspension.

Some have suggested the result would have been different if the ice-cool Mitchell had played – he has kicked 11 goals from 11 attempts in this year’s finals series.

“I guess we will never know,” Cleary responded.

“It’s done now. As much as it’s a great memory for us, we can’t look to what has happened in the past, we can’t look to what’s going to happen in the future.

“It’s all about what is happening now and Latrell is going to be there. It’s our job to try to contain him.”

Originally published as NRL 2022: ‘Embarrassing’ performance motivating Lachlan Ilias for Rabbitohs vs Panthers preliminary final