A fired-up Sam Burgess was unable to inspire the Rabbitohs to victory against the Broncos

A FIRE and brimstone cameo from Sam Burgess was not enough to stop the Rabbitohs from falling to their third straight defeat against the Broncos on Friday night.

Sam Burgess of Souths during the NRL game between the Brisbane Broncos and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Pic Darren England.

A FIRE and brimstone cameo from Sam Burgess on Friday night briefly roused a lethargic and uncertain South Sydney from a NRL form slump, but their losing streak now extends to three defeats.

The Broncos steadied themselves from two moments of fury from Burgess to break clear for a 30-8 win over Souths at Suncorp Stadium, completing a one-two punch combination on the Rabbitohs by Queensland’s grand final clubs.

Burgess, Souths’ forward leader, was penalised and cautioned twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half as the Rabbitohs tried to assert themselves somehow after they had fired blanks to trail 14-0.

A case can be made that Burgess’s aggression suckered Brisbane into getting away from the discipline and control with which they took the premiership lead after seven rounds.

But three Broncos tries in a nine-minute burst meant the Rabbitohs lost with a combined 74-26 to the Cowboys and Broncos to emphasise how far off the pace Souths are at the moment.

Maguire called Souths’ effort “another step forward’’ despite a 22-point loss, their third in as many matches.

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“We made it tough for ourselves in the first half but I saw the courage and the first in the team,’’ he said.

A melee breaks out after a Sam Burgess hit on Joe Ofahengaue.

“We showed some real strength and desire and had a crack.

“It was unfortunate we gave away some cheap points late in both halves.’’

Broncos captain Corey Parker said Souths’ bristling defiance midway the second half through derived from them being “a proud footy club like we are’’.

“When they upped the ante, we went with them. We fought fire with fire,’’ Parker said.

“Some of their senior players tried to lift their side.’’

Burgess was playing without his right-hand man, his brother George Burgess.

The Rabbitohs said George Burgess, another 2014 grand final hero, withdrew from the team on Thursday with a groin injury, but speculation persists that he was dropped on the basis of form.

Starting prop Tom Burgess ran for 111m, the most by a Rabbitohs forward, with Sam managing 92m and a team-high 37 tackles.

In the game’s other major talking point, Broncos prop Adam Blair was put on report for a 56th minute tackle off the ball which was late and high on halfback Adam Reynolds.

Adam Reynolds clutches his jaw after a hit by Adam Blair. Pic Darren England.

Reynolds, playing his second match back from a broken jaw, looks to have aggravated the injury.

Souths lost centre Hymel Hunt after seven minutes with a reported right pectoral muscle injury and television cameras captured pictures from the dressing-room of a devastated Hunt being consoled.

Souths did not effectively respond on Friday night to criticism of their form in recent weeks, including a Daily Telegraph column by Matt Johns in which he claimed their players had lost the “desire to achieve great things’’ and also looked to be unfit.

Greg Inglis beat two defenders to score Souths’ first try — the first against the Broncos in 253 minutes — and put a moderate first half at Suncorp Stadium behind him.

Asked if Greg Inglis had reasserted himself with his game, Maguire said: “I was very proud of him tonight. A lot has been said about him, but I know what he is doing in the background. You can call tonight a captain’s effort.

Greg Inglis tries to break a tackle by Ben Hunt.

Inglis made six tackle busts, most in a more encouraging second half for the Rabbitohs’ main game-breaker.

Burgess was penalised for a shoulder charge and cautioned by referee Jared Maxwell for “unnecessary’’ contact in how he flopped on prone Broncos forward Joe Ofahengaue.

Maguire was dismayed at the second penalty and caution against Burgess.

“When you fall down on a player and get penalised for that. Is it rugby league? There’d be a lot of old time players wondering where the game is going

“We have a tough game.’’

Broncos centre James Roberts was also cautioned for how he bowled over Burgess in rushing in as a third man.

Ofahengaue was placed on report for a shoulder charge, three minutes before Blair’s shot on Reynolds.

Souths made nine handling error in the first 50 minutes to Brisbane’s four and the Broncos were able to steady themselves with a 63rd minute try in which 21-year-old winger Corey Oates added to his season-long highlight reel for spectacular tries.

Corey Oates scores a try with a spectacular put down. Pic Darren England.

Oates managed a one-hand placement of the ball in the corner and it was symptomatic of Brisbane’s methodical winning style that the first three tries all came after forcing line drop outs.

Oates had gained that advantage by wrestling opposite number Aaron Gray in-goal at the end of a committed kick-chase.

Souths coach Michael Maguire started with Damien Cook at hooker and Paul Carter on an edge, but only one forward, Carter (56m), ran for more than 50m in a dismaying first half.

Rabbitohs kingpins Sam Burgess, Inglis and Reynolds all made simple handling errors in the first half as they were unable to heap pressure on a Broncos defensive line which had not conceded a point against Newcastle and St George Illawarra in the previous fortnight.

Originally published as A fired-up Sam Burgess was unable to inspire the Rabbitohs to victory against the Broncos