Brisbane Broncos v Souths: Adam Reynolds absence telling as Rabbitohs crash to first-up loss

With Cody Walker strangely ineffective and Lachlan Ilias unable to impose himself, Souths began life after Wayne Bennett and Adam Reynolds with a whimper against the Broncos.

NRL 2022 RD01 Brisbane Broncos v South Sydney Rabbitohs - Cody Walker NRL PHOTOS

Life without Adam Reynolds smacked South Sydney right between the eyes as a bumbling and fumbling 11-4 loss to the Broncos gave rookie coach Jason Demetriou a massive early headache.

Reynolds, absent due to Covid for his new club Brisbane, was missed by both sides at Suncorp Stadium, but the Rabbitohs missed him the most. New number seven Lachlan Ilias had a tough night in just his second NRL game, but he was done no favours by his teammates who were way off their game and out enthused by a rejuvenated Broncos.

Demetriou said the absence of Reynolds was now “irrelevant”.

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“He’s not there. The decisions have been made. He will be wearing a Broncos jersey this year,” Demetriou said.

“My job is to coach the team and get the best out of them this year and I am really confident with what I saw. The attitude was first class and the defensive resolve was very good. We just need to nail a few more opportunities.”

Cody Walker couldn’t stamp his authority on the game.

The return of Latrell Mitchell for next week’s blockbuster against the Storm can’t come soon enough for last year’s grand finalists and for five-eighth Cody Walker in particular, who was out of sorts and unusually ineffective.

There were plenty of concerns for South Sydney in the first half where middle forwards Tevita Tatola and Mark Nicholls were dominated by a rampant Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan. Newly minted captain Cameron Murray shouldered the defensive load as poor discipline also proved costly.

The second half was no better where the exit of left centre Dane Gagai to the Knights at left centre also came back to bite Souths when his replacement Jaxson Paulo failed to catch and pass when a try was on.

ILIAS INITIATION

Ilias discovered how tough the NRL cauldron can be in front of 32,002 screaming Queenslanders.

The 21-year-old struggled to assert himself in the first half where he had no runs.

It is only going to get tougher against the Storm in Melbourne where the rookie playmaker will no doubt be keen to get more involved early.

The pressure of being behind on the scoreboard told in the second stanza when he threw an intercept pass. To Ilias’s credit he had a crack and tried to conjure something.

There is only upside ahead with Ilias but the penny has already dropped that Reynolds’ exit after a decade of brilliant game management is going to hurt the Rabbitohs before there is a healing.

Jai Arrow couldn’t lift his side out of their malaise.

Demetriou backed Ilias to the hilt and said he would only get better.

“I thought he was pretty good. He’s learning and he is going to keep learning all the time. He defended really well. I think he can own his kicking more but other than that, a good start. It is a work in progress.

“The only way he is going to get better is to be out there. We will get better with our attack.”

WALKER WOES

It was Groundhog Day for Cody Walker at Suncorp Stadium when Albert Kelly swooped on a short ball from the Rabbitohs playmaker and raced 80 metres to open the scoring.

The nightmare of Stephen Crichton’s intercept, also from a Walker ball, that clinched last year’s grand final for Penrith was back to haunt him, but the Rabbitohs talisman weaved his magic to orchestrate a try for Josh Mansour in the corner.

Walker, without Mitchell and the departed Reynolds and Gagai, appeared burdened by having to do it all himself.

It was a tough night at the office for Jason Demetriou.

“The Broncos defended him pretty well,” Demetriou said of Walker.

“We’ve got to have more options both sides of the field. We needed a few more variations.”

AFTER WAYNE

Following Wayne Bennett as a coach has often been described as rugby league’s equivalent of batting after Bradman for successors. Demetriou already had the runs on the board with a playing group he has a strong relationship with, but it’s his team now and the buck stops with him.

There are bigger challenges ahead but getting beaten by a team that finished last and 14th in the past two seasons was a bitter early pill to swallow on a night where Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo announced himself as a star of the future.