Blues prop injured, Souths star hits 200 as Warriors beat Bunnies
South Sydney winger Alex Johnston joined rugby league’s most exclusive club, and NSW prop Mitchell Barnett suffered an untimely injury, as the Warriors outlasted the Rabbitohs in a 36-30 thriller at Accor Stadium on Sunday.
Johnston scored a hat-trick, becoming only the second player after Ken Irvine (212) to reach the milestone of 200 first-grade tries.
At 30, the prolific finisher has time on his side and should break Irvine’s record either later this season or next.
Souths coach Wayne Bennett paid tribute to Johnston, describing him as a “pretty special” player.
“He’s so good,” Bennett said.
“He’s not only a good athlete, but he’s also pretty smart with it, the way he positions himself and works it all out and gets to the tryline … he means a lot of the fans, and he looks like breaking a record that’s been there for a long, long time.”
NSW coach Laurie Daley, meanwhile, could be forced to reshuffle his starting pack for Origin II after Barnett suffered a knee injury at Accor Stadium.
Barnett stayed down in distress in the 22nd minute after he collided with teammate Chanel Harris-Tavita while trying to make a tackle on Souths’ five-eighth Jayden Sullivan.
After being assessed by the Warriors’ training staff, he limped up the tunnel and didn’t return. Scans will determine his fate, but he would appear to be in serious doubt for Origin II in Perth on June 18.
Barnett takes a hit-up before his injury.Credit: Getty Images
The 31-year-old was expected to retain his position in the NSW engine room after racking up 110 metres and 26 tackles in the Blues’ 18-6 victory last week.
Daley will name his squad after next weekend’s round of club fixtures.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster said “we honestly don’t know” when asked about the severity of Barnett’s injury.
“Until you look under the hood, you just don’t know,” Webster said.
“We’ll just wait, but he’s in good spirits, ‘Barn’. Honestly, we’ll just get back to New Zealand tonight and work it out tomorrow.”
If Barnett is ruled out, a ready-made replacement has emerged in Souths enforcer Keaon Koloamatangi, who delivered his second standout performance in as many games.
Switched from the back row to prop by coach Wayne Bennett two weeks ago, Koloamatangi produced a remarkable double in Souths’ 22-12 win against Wests Tigers on May 18, carting the ball for 292 metres and making 49 tackles.
He was in similarly dominant form against the Warriors, scoring a bulldozing try in his 197 running metres, and chiming in with 39 tackles for good measure, according to the NRL’s live stats.
The Warriors led 14-12 at the end of a fluctuating first half.
The visitors opened the scoring in the fourth minute, when winger Dallin Watene-Zalezniak latched onto a Luke Metcalf cross-field chip and plunged down to score.
Five minutes later, Koloamatangi powered over from close range, and then Souths winger Alex Johnston raced 90 metres for his 198th try after intercepting a Metcalf pass.
Keaon Koloamatangi celebrates his try against the Warriors.Credit: Getty Images
But just as Souths appeared to be dominating, the Warriors regained the lead with tries by centre Rocco Berry and fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
The visitors continued their onslaught after the break. First, explosive young back-rower Leka Halasima stepped his way over to score in the 48th minute, then three minutes later Metcalf threw a dummy and raced 85 metres to score from dummy-half, leaving Souths chasing a 24-12 deficit.
If not for some wayward goalkicking from Metcalf, the Warriors would have been further in front.
The procession continued four minutes later, when the Warriors shifted the ball to their left edge and veteran winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck flashed over.
But just when a scoreline blow-out appeared to be looming large, Souths responded with a backline raid that Johnston finished off to move within a try of his double-century.
Four minutes later, Johnston completed his treble and joined Irvine in the 200 club. The Warriors did not contest a bomb, and Souths fullback Latrell Mitchell fired a pass to the flanker.
Mitchell’s conversion lifted the home team to within six points, but a second Tuivasa-Sheck try provided the Warriors with some breathing space.
As some fans made their way to the exit, Mitchell crashed over to score and converted his own try to get Souths back within a converted try.
But the Warriors dug deep to hold them.
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