But go to any front bar in the country and old rugby league diehards will tell you the game is in chaos.
On one of the most explosive and controversial nights of this NRL season, the game’s under fire match officials landed smack bang in the middle of another massive mess after three separate and two extremely confusing sin binnings sensationally marred South Sydney’s dramatic 34-26 elimination semi final victory over Manly.
In front of 32,127 fans at ANZ Stadium, the Sea Eagles’ fairytale season ended with what many are calling a late howler of a decision to sin bin Jake Trbojevic for a push off the ball involving Dane Gagai.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley on Friday night was adamant it was the right call: “It was a professional foul in a try scoring situation. Last week I publicly criticised a referee for not using the sin bin in similar circumstances. If Jake doesn’t grab the support player, the consequence s don’t occur.”
But in Channel Nine commentary rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns spoke for the majority when he questioned if the 67th minute incident was even worthy of a penalty.
While Trbojevic was off the field, the Sea Eagles’ fairytale season fell apart.
From leading 26-20, they crashed to let in two late tries that sealed the Rabbitohs a date with Ricky Stuart’s Canberra Raiders in the nation’s capital next Friday night.
Understandably, Wayne Bennett was proud of his team and their ability to roll with the punches after they themselves were on the wrong side of a tough first half call to sin bin Cody Walker for an open handed push in the face that had Johns equally baffled.
Justifiably, Des Hasler was confused.
“Were there issues about the game? Yep I think there was,” Hasler said.
“Do I think we got dudded? Yep, I think we were dudded.”
To his credit Hasler didn’t go off his head. He just told it as it was.
“I can wear the first sin bin (Brad Parker’s for a trip) but I thought the call on Jake in the second half was a bit tough,” Hasler added.
“Was it a penalty? I don’t mind the penalty.
“Did he deserve to get sent off? No.
“That doesn’t help the cause. I thought the 9-3 penalty count was a bit heavy handed.
“That is how I feel at the moment.
“It makes the loss a little more difficult.”
Bennett added: “Look, they have been on it all season about pulling guys back, taking guys off the ball.
“We have seen a lot of sin bins this year for it so I didn’t have a problem with the Cody Walker one.
“I didn’t have a problem with their sin bins.
“As teams and as players you know it is on the cards these days. You roll the dice. If I am being totally candid I would say we both got our tough calls out there.
“We got beaten up big time in the play the ball area. Numerous amount of times I felt we should have got penalties.
“I think it went both ways to be honest with you. I can’t say I am totally happy either. The end result is we got the win and I will live with it a lot better.”
BENNY’S STARTLING CONFESSION
On a bizarre night, Bennett’s post-match admission that he didn’t even know the score at halftime summed up what an unbelievable match it was.
From a 10-0 early lead they lost Walker and were down 16-12 before an NFL-style try to Cameron Murray just before halftime seized an 18-16 lead.
Bennett joked: “I left the box with about 10 minutes to go before halftime. I was pretty filthy so I had another speech prepared, that was the losing one.
“And I got down there and I conducted halftime and I didn’t know (Cam Murray) had scored the try.
“So I am talking like we are losing. Honestly, that is what I believed. Anyway, Jason (Dementriou) was talking about the three tries we had scored and I’m thinking we have only scored two but ‘shut your mouth Wayne, you’ve miss calculated’.
“So I’ve given the halftime we are behind speech … and I walk outside and Sam grabs me and says, ‘Hey coach, you know we’re leading?’ And I said, ‘piss off Sam, what are you talking about’. I had no idea we’d scored.”
But that’s the Rabbitohs in 2019.
On Friday night the Sea Eagles were the better team but in the end Souths’ resilience survived.
And you can call it luck if you want.
But they again made their own luck.
Just like they have ever since Bennett arrived at Redfern and plenty thought the Rabbitohs had got the raw deal in the coaching swap with Brisbane.
But here they are, one win away from another grand final appearance and the Bunnies on Friday night did it the hard way.
Asked if he thought his team was gone before the Trbojevic sin binning, he added: “With these guys, no.
“They just seem to like to get behind and put themselves under a hell of a lot of pressure and then they will start to make a few things happen.”
There was plenty for both coaches to be proud of.
For Hasler, his halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Dylan Walker were terrific as was Moses Suli and across the park the no names and misfits like Parker, Reuben Garrick, Corey Waddell and Jack Gosiewski were enormous.
At the start of the season hardly anyone gave Manly a hope of making it this far but they bowed out with huge respect.
Updates
Game, set, match RABBITOHS!
An incredible 80 minutes of rugby league comes to a close, and South Sydney have booked their ticket to the nation's capital to face Canberra on Friday night.
Manly were valiant in defeat, but have fallen just short of continuing their fairytale run in 2019.
Sam Burgess, Adam Doueihi and Alex Johnston all face concussion protocol to take their place in the game, with Johnston likely to be in serious doubt.
Game, set, match RABBITOHS!
An incredible 80 minutes of rugby league comes to a close, and South Sydney have booked their ticket to the nation's capital to face Canberra on Friday night.
Manly were valiant in defeat, but have fallen just short of continuing their fairytale run in 2019.
Sam Burgess, Adam Doueihi and Alex Johnston all face concussion protocol to take their place in the game, with Johnston likely to be in serious doubt.
Reynolds produces a beautiful kick from his 40m line to win a repeat set, two minutes remaining.
YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT, Cherry-Evans is timed out by the shot clock.
South Sydney win a penalty, Reynolds will kick from under the posts to clinch the game, that'll be all she wrote at ANZ Stadium… incredible…
Reynolds produces a beautiful kick from his 40m line to win a repeat set, two minutes remaining.
YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT, Cherry-Evans is timed out by the shot clock.
South Sydney win a penalty, Reynolds will kick from under the posts to clinch the game, that'll be all she wrote at ANZ Stadium… incredible…
It continues…
Sam Burgess is crushed by Taufua and is sent for a HIA assessment. With five minutes remaining his night is over unless we get extra time, which is likely the way this game is going.
The Rabbitohs only have George Burgess left on the bench.
Consecutive mistakes from both teams has Manly packing a scrum on their own 40m line with a chance to attack.
They make nothing of the set, Roberts – playing on the wing – makes a stunning catch from a cross field bomb and wins a penalty.
Trbojevic returns from the sin-bin.
Three minutes remaining.
It continues…
Sam Burgess is crushed by Taufua and is sent for a HIA assessment. With five minutes remaining his night is over unless we get extra time, which is likely the way this game is going.
The Rabbitohs only have George Burgess left on the bench.
Consecutive mistakes from both teams has Manly packing a scrum on their own 40m line with a chance to attack.
They make nothing of the set, Roberts – playing on the wing – makes a stunning catch from a cross field bomb and wins a penalty.
Trbojevic returns from the sin-bin.
Three minutes remaining.
Adam Doueihi and Alex Johnston both fail their HIA tests and won't return tonight.
To be fair, Cam Murray is probably the best centre in the NRL when he plays there so all is well…
IT'S MURRAY AGAIN!!!
Manly were shot from the start, clearly looking a man down with fatigue playing an enormous. They couldn't cover the extra space this late in the game.
Liam Knight sees the space and throw a speculator that hits the deck, Murray scoops up and bursts over for his second.
Reynolds converts, Rabbitohs lead 32-26 with 8 minutes remaining.
South Sydney make a bust through Dane Gagai, he offloads to Cam Murray, Jake Trbojevic takes Gagai down who is supporting, ANOTHER ONE TO THE BIN!
Rabbitohs on the attack, tailing by six, this is manic…
IT'S MURRAY AGAIN!!!
Manly were shot from the start, clearly looking a man down with fatigue playing an enormous. They couldn't cover the extra space this late in the game.
Liam Knight sees the space and throw a speculator that hits the deck, Murray scoops up and bursts over for his second.
Reynolds converts, Rabbitohs lead 32-26 with 8 minutes remaining.
