NRL 2024: Roosters win 48-6 over South Sydney Rabbitohs as they face bottom of the ladder position

The Rabbitohs could find themselves on the bottom of the NRL ladder for the first time since Round 2 2010, after the Roosters handed them a soul-crushing 42-point defeat.

The Rabbitohs are officially a club in crisis.

We’re only three games into the season but South Sydney’s season is on life support and things could get worse with star recruit Jack Wighton set to come under the match review committee’s spotlight in his first game for the club.

In his first game back from a biting ban, the former Raider had a solid night but could be charged for a raised knee and leading with his bumpers which caught Sam Walker in the head and forced the Roosters halfback out of the contest early in the second half.

Losing Wighton is the last thing the Rabbitohs need after they slumped to an 0-3 start to the season following a calamitous 48-6 loss to their fiercest rivals who sensed weakness and feasted on their carcass.

“He got his bumpers up and Sam got his head in the wrong spot, but I’m sure he’s okay,” Demetriou said.

“I don’t think he’ll have too much trouble with that.”

The Rabbitohs are officially a club in crisis after their 42-point loss to the Roosters. Picture: NRL Imagery

Coach Jason Demetriou didn’t like some of the questions on Thursday morning but he looks like a man running out of answers after he dropped his halfback and demoted his hooker to the bench, only for things to get worse.

They gave away a cheap penalty on the first play of the night, coughed up the ball eight times in 40 minutes and attacked like individuals who hadn’t studied the game plan, with Dean Hawkins no certainty to hold onto his spot next week.

“It’s disappointing, it hurts. It’s probably the lowest point of my career right now, but I know how we can get out of it. We’ll fight and we’ll fight together,” Demetriou said.

They were jeered at every turn by a rabid Roosters crowd, with Latrell Mitchell booed every time he touched the ball, with the biggest cheer of the night coming when the former Chook was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul on James Tedesco.

They are now reeling and could finish on the bottom of the table for the first time since 2010 if results don’t go their way this weekend.

Jack Wighton is set to come under the match review committee’s spotlight for a raised knee. Picture: NRL Imagery

HOT CHOOKS

It’s hard to believe this is the same team that looked so sluggish in attack last year, with the champions who were panned 12 months ago returning to their best to make the Roosters one of the early favourites to end Penrith’s streak.

There were calls in the off-season for James Tedesco to be dumped from the Blues side, but the NSW skipper has carried his club on his back and is playing the sort of footy that made him the best player in the world not that long ago.

It’s too early to pick Origin teams but he’ll be there later in the year after another dominant display where he plucked a double, ran amok through the ruck and brought the South Sydney edge defence unstuck.

James Tedesco is back! After a mixed 2023 season, Teddy scored a double against the Rabbitohs. Picture: Getty Images

He combined to put Dom Young over for the first try, while his pass to the Englishman for their third was something Nathan Cleary would’ve been proud of, with the towering winger passing back inside for Sam Walker’s second.

The young halfback – the same guy who was dropped to reserve grade last year – steered the ship like he was Russell Crowe in Master and Commander, even if he admitted this week that he hated the movie.

Walker was brilliant with regular halves partner Luke Keary missing, with the pint-sized playmaker using his beautiful mind and his clever kicking game to grubber twice for a stunning solo try.

Things went from bad to worse for Souths after Latrell Mitchell was sin-binned. Picture: Getty Images

SANDON STUNNER

After their sloppy first half, you would have thought the message at the interval would be to complete the first set.

Something got lost in translation because the Bunnies turned the ball over in the very first set which was punished immediately when Sandon Smith volleyed the bouncing Steeden straight into Joseph Manu’s arms to make it 24-0.

There was a brilliant moment in the second half when Smith kicked through for Connor Watson to score in his first game back from a horror knee injury which kept him out for more than a year.