NSW Cup grand final: Star-studded South Sydney Rabbitohs chasing first title in 40 years
They’re the team of licorice allsorts with their oldest player double the age of their youngest. Now the Rabbitohs have risen from 11th to a NSW Cup grand final. Here’s how they’re chasing history this weekend.
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There’s something special in the air at Redfern as the Rabbitohs hunt NSW Cup glory for the first time in four decades.
In a battle of the droughts, South Sydney is looking to claim its first title since 1983 against a North Sydney Bears side who has been winless since 1993.
Even making it to this point looked highly unlikely for Souths midway through the season, sitting in 11th at the end of round 13, before winning 11 of their past 13 to finish the regular season in second.
Despite a relatively slow start to the season, head coach Joe O’Callaghan praised their ability to stay united as a group throughout the course of the season.
“We’ve always had good morale. It’s one thing I’ve really liked about this group. They enjoy each other’s company,” he said.
“It’s something we’ve tried to focus on all year. It doesn’t matter the contract level, when we’re together it’s for the same cause.
“We’ve been good at that all year, and now it’s gone up a notch over the past two and a half months.
1983 was the last time we played in a reserve grade grand final.
“We haven’t spoken too much about that. In my experience you can overcook it a little bit.
“We made note of it at the start of the finals series but haven’t spoken about it since. We’ve been taking it one week at a time and are focused on this group creating memories.”
The club is full of storylines, with their oldest player in Yileen ‘Buddy’ Gordon double the age of their youngest, 18-year-old Tyrone Munro.
Gordon’s connection to the Rabbitohs has continued from his junior days, but he was also a part of the Bears team the last time they featured in a NSW Cup grand final.
With Souths and Norths having an affiliation that season, a host of Rabbitohs stars including David Peachey and Joe Williams featured alongside Gordon as they went down to the Eels 20-15.
“Having that mix is what reserve grade is all about. There’s some great stories and Yileen is a good example,” O’Callaghan said.
“Brock Gray and Jacob Gagai have played at this level for a fair while. Guys like Blake Taaffe, Peter Mamouzelos and Dean Hawkins are using this as a stepping stone for more NRL.
“Tyrone and Tallis Duncan have had that taste of NRL and this will probably be the biggest game of their careers, and they’re only just getting started.”
O’Callaghan paid special tribute to the impact the likes of Duncan and Munro have been able to bring back to the side after making their first grade debuts this season.
“Confidence is up when they come back,” he said.
“We saw that with Tallis. He was a standout in Cup before his NRL debut and was a regular for a few weeks. His first game back was the major semi and he was one of the best on the park.
“Shaq (Mitchell) is another. He played first grade for a good block and has performed really well.
“Nothing phases Tyrone. He’s played SG Ball, Flegg, Cup and NRL all in one season. To tick all those boxes off in a year is incredible. He won’t be overawed by the event.”
Should they create history and add a 21st reserve grade title to their coffers, a spot in the NRL State Championship awaits against the Easts Tigers, an opportunity O’Callaghan said could pave the way for his players.
“That’s the carrot for both teams. We’re not just trying to win the NSW Cup, but both are playing for that opportunity to get on the big stage,” he said.
“That exposure is gold. To be able to get there on that day, whether they’re guys already in the system trying to show Jason Demetriou they should be playing more NRL or guys that aren’t full time and are looking for those opportunities.
“You can send YouTube clips and resumes, but you can’t get any better exposure than this.”
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Originally published as NSW Cup grand final: Star-studded South Sydney Rabbitohs chasing first title in 40 years
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