South Sydney relying on coach Anthony Seibold’s experience to end Storm hoodoo
SOUTH Sydney are gunning for their first win over Melbourne in five years on Friday night but the experience of coach Anthony Seibold could give the Rabbitohs the edge.
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SOUTH Sydney are backing intelligence from a man who spent time inside the Melbourne Storm juggernaut ahead of their top-of-the-table blockbuster.
The Rabbitohs halfback Adam Reynolds revealed his side has had a “really close look” at the Storm, saying coach Anthony Seibold has developed a game plan for Craig Bellamy’s side at ANZ Stadium.
Seibold knows the Melbourne system well, having worked as an under-20s coach at the Storm and then as a development coach there between 2013 and 2015.
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“They’re playing with a lot of confidence, they look like they’re out there having fun enjoying their structures and we’ve come up with a game plan that can sort of put a stop to them,” Reynolds said.
“We need to complete and play a high percentage game of football and definitely starve them of good ball and we do that by making sure our structures are right and we are running the right lines,” he said.
Souths are looking to score their first win over Melbourne in five years when Seibold’s predecessor, former Storm assistant, Michael Maguire, was at Redfern.
And they have left no stone unturned this week in their preparation with leading referee Gerard Sutton training with the Rabbitohs on Wednesday.
Seibold was in deep in conversation with Sutton as the Rabbitohs look for an edge against the masters of ruck control Melbourne.
Reynolds says danger posed by Melbourne’s spine means they can’t afford to start the game slowly like they did against the Eels last weekend.
“We need to lift on our previous performance, we need to be a lot better. We need to turn up ready to go, switched on from the first minute,” he said.
“The young fella in at the moment [Jahrome Hughes] is doing a terrific job for them at the moment.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence, so is Cameron Munster. They’re all similar players, good running games and selective with their passes. Cam Smith has a great kicking game, they are threat all over the park, especially when you throw in Billy Slater.”
Reynolds insists his side hasn’t gone off the boil at a crucial time of the season, saying rather they’re still building to a perfect performance.
“I don’t think we’ve put together a good performance on the field yet, I think we have sort have been patchy in games where we’ve been great and then we haven’t been so good,” he said.
“We need to put in a complete eighty minute performance otherwise sides like Melbourne will put points on you.
“But it’s an upside for us, we know we can get better, that’s what we plan on doing.”
The Rabbitohs have played Melbourne 28 times since 1998 but have only managed four wins.
They even lost to the Storm in their premiership winning year of 2014.
According to Fox Sports Lab, it’s their worst win percentage against any side in the competition.
As for that unflattering winning percentage, Reynolds has no time for hoodoos. He says it’s a chance for his side to rewrite history.
“It doesn’t mean anything, records are there to be broken and this week will be no different and we’ll be going out to win the game,” he said.
“We won’t be going out there to lay down and let them run over us. We’ll turn up ready to try and end that rout.”