‘Give me the ball’: Lachlan Ilias makes himself the hero Souths needed

They say champions want the ball and if that’s the case, the rest of the NRL better watch out as a youngster made himself the hero.

Ilias just became the newest Souths saviour. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Cody Walker did the early damage before halves partner Lachlan Ilias provided the heroics as the Rabbitohs honoured the late John Sattler with an emotional 13-12 win over the Sea Eagles in a super Saturday classic.

It looked for long stretches like the Sea Eagles would continue their unbeaten start to the season, but Waker’s second try of the night tied things up before madness dominated the final few minutes.

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Latrell Mitchell had the chance to be the hero in the final minute but the superstar fullback pushed his rushed field goal just wide after the Rabbitohs played the ball on the wrong side for a left-footer.

That miss left the Sea Eagles enough time to get down the other end of the field for Daly Cherry-Evans to slot the winner, but his 40-metre effort was charged down by Damien Cook who then toed it ahead and nearly stole it with a try at the other end.

That sent the game into golden point where Josh Aloiai spilled the ball in the opening set, gifting Ilias the field position he needed to drill the ball through the posts to get South Sydney’s season back on track.

“I knew they (defenders) were going to go to Trell. I just told Cookie I’m going to be ready, I told Trell as well, I just said I’m going to be ready so give me the ball,” Ilias said on Fox League after the match.

“Cookie threw me a good pass and lucky it went through. It was pretty surreal when it went over.

“I didn’t really know how to celebrate and all the boys got around me and I was chuffed to be honest.”

Ilias iced the game. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

They were quite the scenes at fulltime. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

There were emotional scenes after the game with the entire crowd staying behind as Sattler’s rendition of Glory Glory to South Sydney played on the big screen after they scored 13 points to honour his jersey against the team he beat in the 1970 Grand Final with a broken jaw.

The fans had earlier stood as one for a stirring minute’s silence while they rose to give the Souths legend a round of applause after 13 minutes to honour his incredible contribution to the club.

On the field, Walker starred for the Rabbitohs throughout, breaking out of his quiet start to the season.

Rattled by the Roosters a week earlier, the five-eighth showed his class when he chased through a Cook grubber to somehow ground the ball as Daly Cherry-Evans begged it to roll dead.

The Sea Eagles skipper got his revenge when he picked off a Cam Murray pass on the stroke of halftime but Walker responded with a solo try of his own when he popped up on the right edge late in the game.