NRL Finals 2020 live: Rabbitohs vs Knights at ANZ Stadium
South Sydney has torn Newcastle to shreds in a semi-final carve up after piling on 46 straight points to expose Newcastle as being out of their depth.
South Sydney has left Newcastle "shell-shocked" after plundering 46 straight points in a semi-final carve up at ANZ Stadium.
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After the Knights shot-out to a 14-0 lead, the Rabbitohs thundered back into the contest by scoring an eight-minute team hat-trick that saw the game all tied up at 14-14 mid-way through the first half.
From there they put Newcastle to the sword with eight tries before the Knights scored on the final siren. The late try did nothing to stop the Rabbitohs' celebrations after they set-up a showdown with Parramatta at BankWest Stadium in the second week of the finals.
It was the highest score ever produced by the Rabbitohs in a finals series game.
The total points haul of a235 points in the first week of the finals has also set a record for the most points scored in the first round of a finals series since the NRL went to a top-eight finals format.
NRL live scores: Finals Series Match Centres
Cody Walker and Damien Cook ran rings around the poorly-disciplined Newcastle defence while Alex Johnston and Tevita Tatola scored doubles.
The Rabbitohs leaders were everything the Knights' stars weren't.
Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga were criticised by Channel 9 commentator Phil Gould for failing to take the game on during an arm-wrestle early in the second half.
Gould slammed the pair for failing to make an aggressive play and allowing the Knights to settle into survival mode.
It cost them in the end, as the Bunnies scored the decisive try through Tatola in the 61st minute - and it broke the Knights' spirit.
While the season is now over for the Knights, the Bunnies will marsh full of confidence into their battle with the Eels at BankWest Stadium after they thumped Brad Arthur's men at Parramatta earlier this season.
Originally published as NRL Finals 2020 live: Rabbitohs vs Knights at ANZ Stadium