Cody Walker’s perfect response to State of Origin rejection

Led by Cody Walker, the South Sydney Rabbitohs made light work of a defensively brittle North Queensland outfit on Friday night.

Walker (R) set up four tries and five line breaks. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Plenty of good judges say Cliff Lyons should’ve played more State of Origin games for NSW.

Chances are the same will be said of Cody Walker when all is said done, after the South Sydney star tore North Queensland to shreds in a 46-18 walkover in Newcastle.

A week after being overlooked for the vacant No. 6 jumper for game three, the league leader in try assists belied the wet conditions on Friday to add another four.

No one else in the competition has also put more teammates through a defensive line, to which Walker had the Cowboys defence in a headspin with another six.

It was a masterful performance from the late-blooming playmaker, who eighth Immortal Andrew Johns likened to another legendary ball-player in Lyons.

“I haven’t seen a player ball play as good as Cliffy in a long time,” Johns said on Channel Nine.

“(Walker is) getting close.”

Walker’s fourth and final try assist was the pick of the bunch, batting on a pass to the chest of Taane Milne, before being given an early rest by coach Wayne Bennett.

“To watch this masterclass … he is just an incredible ball player,” Johns said.

“Geez it’s good to see him in form like this.”

Bennett said Blues selectors made the right call with their halves, which included Adam Reynolds also being snubbed of filling in for the injured Nathan Cleary.

“We didn’t talk about (not getting selected) because I didn’t think it was ever going to happen for the pair of them. I’m really pleased for us it didn’t,” Bennett said.

“At the same time had it happened I would’ve been pleased for them.

“They made the right choices, NSW, in my opinion. Adam’s towards the end of his career, not the starting part of it, so his value to NSW is not as good as the halfback they put in there, for the future.”

Despite missing five Origin representatives – including the stood-down Jai Arrow – the Rabbitohs were down 12-2 early but reeled off the next eight tries to storm to a fifth straight victory.

It is the third game in a row South Sydney have piled on at least 38 points – only the second time in the foundation club’s history – consolidating third spot on the ladder.

The limp defeat for the Cowboys, who were without three Origin stars of their own, extends their losing streak to a fourth game and continues their freefall down the table.

The Cowboys are yet to defeat a side currently in the top eight this season. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Johnston trying hard

If someone’s setting them up, someone must be scoring them.

Walker combined with him just once at McDonald Jones Stadium, but winger Alex Johnston didn’t need much help for his other two en route to his third hat trick of the season.

The league’s leading try scorer now has 13 tries in five games, and 22 for the season, leaving him all but certain to break the record for most tries in a single season in the NRL era.

Milne also had three – two of which Walker put on a platter with identical passes – while Blake Taafe and Thomas Burgess also got on the scoresheet.

Burgess celebrated his rare four-pointer with a goanna try celebration, while Adam Reynolds finished the night kicking seven from 10 for 14 points.

Taumalolo sighting

The former Dally M medallist showed why there has been plenty of consternation about his form when he carried North Queensland to an early 12-2 lead off the back of his middle play.

A subtle pass resulted in Tom Dearden sliding over for the opening four-pointer, but it was a vintage stampede soon after that set up a contender for try of the season.

He barged through the Rabbitohs’ middle for a 40-metre burst before flicking an offload that ended in Shane Wright finishing off a 60-metre movement out wide.

He had 133 metres and four tackle busts in a 29-minute cameo, however his exit coincided with a three-try explosion from the Rabbitohs and a 10-point halftime deficit.

Taumalolo finished the night with a team-high 173 metres, six tackle busts and two offloads, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overturn his team’s 30 missed tackles.

The defeat was compounded by the sin-binning of bench forward Heilum Luki, who was put on report for a high shot on Rabbitohs rookie Peter Mamouzelos.

Rabbitohs prop Liam Knight was fortunate to get away with a late shot on Dearden moments earlier.

“We’re just an immature team at the moment, just not willing to pay the price in the tough parts of the game for long enough,” coach Todd Payten said.

“Very frustrated. The different parts of that frustration (is that it) seems to be the same people consistently over 15-16 rounds.”

Originally published as Cody Walker’s perfect response to State of Origin rejection