NRL 2020: South Sydney Rabbitohs go down to Melbourne Storm 22-16 | Match Report
On a night when it looked like Souths had finally worked out how to get the better of their bogey team, it was crafty old Cameron Smith who stepped up. Storm without their long-time inspiration just won’t be the same.
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Craig Bellamy is not about to tell Cameron Smith if he should make a decision about his future until Smith is good and ready.
But what Bellamy doesn’t want is to see it pass by and Smith does ultimately decide to retire — and it is not celebrated for what it is worth.
In the wake of another masterclass from the veteran Melbourne skipper, who came up with the crucial play that turned the match in the Storm’s 22-16 win over South Sydney, Bellamy opened up about why it is important to him to make sure Smith’s career is celebrated over the final months of this season.
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Especially if it turns out to be his farewell.
“It is a funny thing,” Bellamy said.
“I sort of put that to him the other day. I just sort of said to him, ‘Again, not putting any pressure on you. But if you make that decision and it is to retire then we can really, really celebrate it because we know it is that’.
“But I think he is probably grappling between the enjoyment of it, it could be that to try and win a grand final and see what happens, I am not quite sure.
“But you’d hate to see him retire whenever our last game is … at the moment we are trying to celebrate it. But we are not quite sure. We just want to make it really enjoyable for him.”
CAPTAIN COOL
On a night when it looked like the Bunnies had finally worked out how to get the better of their bogey team, it was the crafty old captain who stepped up.
After a sustained period defending their line, Souths were out on the feet when Smith seized the moment.
They had been behind the entire game until midway through the second half when a sublime ball from dummy half found a rampaging Tino Faasuamaleaui, who crashed over to score.
And just like that, it all changed.
That locked the scores at 16-all. Soon after the Storm were in again. It was Cameron Munster this time after another touch of class from Smith from dummy half and the injection of Ryan Papenhuyzen’s blinding speed.
The Rabbitohs were brave in defeat and did enough to suggest they will be a threat heading into the finals.
But it was the Storm who really deserved the accolades on a night when they looked to be really struggling for large sections of the match.
BENNY NOT HAPPY
Wayne Bennett was happy with the effort but effort doesn’t always win footy games without the right execution.
And that is exactly what beat the Bunnies.
Not the fact they were overawed playing the Storm.
The perfect example of what Bennett was talking about was just before halftime when the Rabbitohs were looking comfortable until Jaydn Su’A threw a wild pass that Liam Knight knocked on.
From that the Storm struck like a bolt of lightning. Going after Souths’ inexperienced right edge, Josh Addo Carr burned past Stephen Marters and Papenhuyzen was in.
“I don’t think we are too far behind the competition heavyweights,” Bennett said.
“We didn’t have to win any lessons from Melbourne. We had to learn some lessons about ourselves. The opposition tonight for us was South Sydney. We put ourselves under more pressure than Melbourne.”
NEED FOR SPEED
Old-timers will tell you Clive Churchill was even faster than Billy Slater.
Which makes you wonder how this bolt of lightning that currently wears the Melbourne No 1 jumper would rank in a race with ‘The Little Master’ and ‘Billy the Kid’.
Asked after the game who would win a foot race out of Slater and Papenhuyzen, Bellamy said his money would still be on Billy.
But boy, can’t this kid play.
Even when things aren’t going the Storm’s way it only takes a moment of magic from either Papenhuyzen or Josh Addo-Carr to get things going.
REYNO IN WARS
Felisse Kaufusi might have a nervous wait to see if he gets charged for a first half off-the-ball collision with Adam Reynolds.
Reynolds was nowhere near the play when Kaufusi made his way back to the defensive line and smashed into the little halfback who stayed on the ground.
It forced Reynolds from the field for a concussion test but he returned to play a hand in Walker’s second try.
Christian Welch was also placed on report for a crusher tackle on Knight.
Originally published as NRL 2020: South Sydney Rabbitohs go down to Melbourne Storm 22-16 | Match Report