NRL 2021: South Sydney Rabbitohs win 60-22 over NZ Warriors | Match Report

The Storm and Panthers have been incredible in 2021, but the Rabbitohs aren’t far off, scoring 11 tries in the equal highest scoring game of 2021.

Thomas Burgess scored a double as Souths won their seventh straight game, and sentencing the Warriors to their seventh straight loss. Picture: Getty Images.

If it wasn’t obvious before, South Sydney have made it abundantly clear now.

Considered a two-horse race for most of the season, this year’s premiership is now at least a three-way battle after the Rabbitohs sounded a warning by posting a whopping 60 points on Saturday.

It was only the fourth time in their history the foundation club cracked 60.

Led by the return of star fullback Latrell Mitchell, Wayne Bennett’s side made it a scintillating seven in a row with a 60-22 beatdown of a downtrodden Warriors side on the Sunshine Coast.

Thomas Burgess, Jayd Su’a and Josh Mansour all bagged two tries apiece as the Rabbitohs, who have averaged over 37 points in their past six games, posted their biggest score of the season.

The resounding victory lifts South Sydney to 32 points, keeping them within strike of the two sides widely tipped for a grand final rematch in ladder leaders Melbourne and second-placed Penrith.

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Thomas Burgess scored a double as Souths won their seventh straight game, and sentencing the Warriors to their seventh straight loss. Picture: Getty Images.

But, as has been the case in most of the seven premiership-winning teams Bennett has presided over, the Rabbitohs are primed to challenge the Storm and Panthers for the trophy.

They face third-placed Parramatta in a fortnight before a salivating blockbuster against Penrith two weeks after that in what Bennett believes will be a thorough test of his outfit.

“That’s our challenge,” he said.

“Six more weeks in the competition, to play 2-3 of the top 4 teams in that period of time as well, we’ll get a good handle of ourselves as the season comes to its conclusion.”

Mitchell made a stirring return from last week’s post-State of Origin rest with 162 metres, a game-high five tackle breaks and four offloads, try, and try assist.

But just as destructive was in-form prop Kaeon Koloamatangi, who backed up his career-high 223 metre output by punching out another 226 against a listless Warriors middle.

Five-eighth Cody Walker picked up a minor knee issue in the second half but finished the game, while halfback Adam Reynolds was rested early after tweaking his hamstring.

“We got him off as a precaution. we were lucky to get him through that period of time so we didn’t want to extend our luck any further,” Bennett said.

The Warriors still threw some jabs with four tries, but their non-existent defence left the 14th-placed side on the mat and all but out of finals reckoning with their seventh straight defeat.

The Rabbitohs were all over the Warriors, scoring 11 tries to tie with the Storm-Tigers clash as the highest scoring games of the year, with 82 points. Picture: Getty Images.

WAYWARD WALSH

Warriors rookie Reece Walsh has taken the league by storm to emerge as one of the buys of the season, but he paid a heavy price for his wayward kicking early in the first half.

Even despite new dad Dallin Watene-Zelezniak claiming the opening try against the run of play, the early signs were there when a strong set ended in Walsh kicking into the defence.

His next kick went out on the full, ending in Burgess barging over a minute later, before Walsh sent his ensuing kickoff also sailing over the sideline.

Walker assisted for Jaxson Paulo a minute after that, promptly turning a six-point deficit into a four-point lead in a matter of three minutes.

What followed was a procession, with Burgess charging over for his second, and Cameron Murray, Walker, and Su’a making it 34 points in a 23-minute burst.

“The way we kicked the ball in the opening 15 minutes was pretty poor. But the way our defence surrendered.. any repeat set they got, they generally just walked over the tryline,” Warriors coach Nathan Brown said.

“Unfortunately because we don’t defend well enough against that type of quality opposition, we didn’t wrestle any moment in the game and the score becomes a little embarrassing.”

A picture that sums up the Warriors’ season? Picture: Getty Images.

WOEFUL WARRIORS

Tries to Marcelo Montoya and Kodi Nikorima added some respectability at halftime, but it failed to stop the ruthless Rabbitohs attack from piling on the points in the second half.

Su’a bagged his second in the opening set after the break, while Mansour tallied two of his own in three minutes, and Koloamatangi and Mitchell added the finishing touches.

They missed 36 tackles to nine, and conceded 537 metres post-contact to just 138.

The New Zealand-based club has been deservedly praised for basing themselves away from home during the pandemic, but they’re now in danger of enduring their worst season in its history.

They’re five wins from 18 games sits alongside their 1999 and 2004 campaigns as their bleakest campaigns to date, the latter of which ended in a club-low six victories.