‘Fractured’ Rabbitohs urged to ditch ‘highlight reel’ plays amid debate over ‘top four roster’

There are calls for the Rabbitohs to ditch their Hollywood game style as debate rages over whether their roster is actually any good.

Souths need to change up their gameplan.

South Sydney have been urged to ditch the “highlight reel” plays in favour of a more conservative game plan as they desperately chase their first win of the season.

The Rabbitohs are 0-3 following losses to the Broncos, Manly and the Roosters and will need to rebound in the next three games against the Bulldogs, Warriors and Sharks — or coach Jason Demetriou will be on the chopping block.

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The 48-6 defeat to the Roosters was a disaster for Souths, who completed just 70 per cent of their sets and made five more errors than the Roosters.

It will take time for Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Jack Wighton to gel together, but there are already calls for Mitchell to move from fullback to the centres.

The conventional wisdom is to win an NRL premiership, you need a gun playmaker and forward pack. Lachlan Ilias will likely return to the side after being dropped to reserve grade, but commentators believe Souths’ forward pack should be doing more.

There’s a theory Souths should have recruited a gun forward to support Cam Murray instead of paying around $800,000 a season to Wighton.

The jury is out on Jack Wighton’s move to Souths. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Is Souths’ roster still capable of winning a premiership? (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

But Broncos great Corey Parker believes the Rabbitohs have enough talent and experience to be winning games.

“We’re talking Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Jack Wighton, Keaon Koloamatangi, Cam Murray, Damien Cook, Tom Burgess, Jai Arrow,” Parker told news.com.au.

“There’s eight current rep players I just named and they’ve got a duck egg.

“I would argue their forward pack is pretty bloody good.

“Something’s not right. There’s teams performing much better with lesser class of players.

“I’m not within the four walls at Souths but from where I look, there’s a big fracture,” Parker added. “There’s a divide, there’s something.”

“You can talk all the player combinations you want, but there’s obviously something not right there.”

The Bunnies need to play more conservatively. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Former NRL hardman James Graham called on Souths to build into games and play more conservatively to give them a chance to win games.

“They play like every play needs to be a scoring play,” Graham told Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin.

“They’re not prepared to build a victory, build a performance.

“They go to their left edge and we go, ‘If they play to their potential, they string a few passes together and create something, they score points. They need to forget that.

“I think they need to fix their game plan and their attitude and stop playing the type of game that is the highlight reel type of stuff and play a more conservative style of football.

“If (winger) Alex Johnston makes a break down the left wing and there’s nobody else in support on the inside, don’t kick the ball back inside and take the tackle.

“When it comes off, it’s great to watch. But they play to score, they don’t play to build a game. They’ve just got to find a way to win.

Tallis agreed: “Every good side beats you early and scores their points late.”

The next three games could decide Souths’ season and their coach’s fate. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Commentators remain divided on whether Souths’ roster is talented enough to challenge for a premiership after losing to Penrith in the 2021 Grand Final and a string of preliminary final exits.

Broncos legend Gorden Tallis said on Triple M: “I wouldn’t put their forward pack is in the top seven or eight forward packs in the competition. Penrith, Brisbane, the Raiders’ is probably better.”

James Hooper said: “That’s a top four roster. It was a premiership winning roster last year. If they play to their potential, that is a premiership ready roster.”

“They float in and out of games, in and out of contests. They’re rabble and the head coach is the one the guns are pointed at.

The Rabbitohs haven’t won a game since Round 24 last year and the upcoming three-game home stand looms as make or break for Demetriou and their season.

They take on the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Good Friday.