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by James Millington
The South Sydney Rabbitohs may be favourites to make the NRL Grand Final and face rivals Sydney Roosters, but blogger James Millington has some bad news for Bunnies fans - they won't be winning the premiership.
This year's Rabbitohs outfit is the best we’ve seen in 40 years. Their forward pack is the best in the competition, led by the giant set of Burgess brothers, of which Sam is arguably the best Englishman to ever play in the NRL. Hooker Isaac Luke has become the best attacking dummy half in the game.
Better still, the halves compliment each other’s game with John Sutton running great lines and offloading on the left while Adam Reynolds probes down the right side with bullet like passes and an incredible kicking game. The backline is simply electric starring Greg Inglis, currently rugby league's best player and the Rabbits' best hope of winning the coveted Dally M Award in 33 years.
Unfortunately for the sea of Rabbitohs fans it’s not only a team's strengths that will determine their success but more importantly their weaknesses that may just see them fail. And it is South Sydney's weaknesses that will see them fall short of being crowned premiers for the first time in 42 years.
These weaknesses are firstly the inability to follow a game plan. When placed under pressure they just don’t stick to what serves them best and that is punching their big men up the middle, focusing on a quick play of the ball and maintaining a fast tempo that guarantees easy metres and allows Reynolds to control field possession with his kicking game.
In big games this year and last, when placed under pressure and faced with a fierce opposition defence, their structure disappears, the game plan goes out the window and they panic.
They don’t handle being bullied in defence, they shy away from the battle in the middle and go wide far too early providing no room for their backs to operate. This results in poor metres and a lot of pressure being applied to their fifth tackle option, which is so important in today's game.
Across the park the Bunnies possess many strengths, but can they win the 2013 Grand Final? In short, no they cannot.
Unfortunately for the sea of Rabbitohs fans it’s not only a team's strengths that will determine their success but more importantly their weaknesses that may just see them fail. And it is South Sydney's weaknesses that will see them fall short of being crowned premiers for the first time in 42 years.
These weaknesses are firstly the inability to follow a game plan. When placed under pressure they just don’t stick to what serves them best and that is punching their big men up the middle, focusing on a quick play of the ball and maintaining a fast tempo that guarantees easy metres and allows Reynolds to control field possession with his kicking game.
In big games this year and last, when placed under pressure and faced with a fierce opposition defence, their structure disappears, the game plan goes out the window and they panic.
They don’t handle being bullied in defence, they shy away from the battle in the middle and go wide far too early providing no room for their backs to operate. This results in poor metres and a lot of pressure being applied to their fifth tackle option, which is so important in today's game.
Their second weakness lies in their halves. Albeit a great combination, they lack the nerve to perform under pressure. Sutton’s role as captain has certainly improved his involvement, but on the flip side, when his side is under pressure he sometimes tries too hard and can get a bad case of butter fingers and start spewing costly errors.
Youngster Reynolds, meanwhile, seems to let the occasion get the better of him, over thinking things, misdirecting passes, kicking poorly and most importantly going missing for crucial periods of the match. Halves win big games, not get overawed by the moment and lose the plot. It’s that simple.
Thirdly, and I don’t like to single out one player, but in pinpointing the Bunnies weaknesses it's too difficult to ignore winger Nathan Merritt's poor form since returning from his State of Origin disaster earlier this year when failing on his debut for the Blues in Game 2 of the series. He was embarrassingly outclassed and cost the Blues two tries with missed tackles and fumbled his way through the game.
Since that disappointing performance his confidence has shrivelled, he has become extremely suspect under the high ball, his defence has been soft and he has lost some zip from his 30-year-old legs. Undoubtedly, he will be targeted repeatedly by the opposition attack where I’m confident they will get results.
Overall the three reasons the Rabbitohs won't win the 2013 premiership are one in the same - pressure, pressure and pressure. As a team they don’t handle it, the halves don’t know how to cope with it and winger Merritt is scared of it.
by James Millington
The South Sydney Rabbitohs may be favourites to make the NRL Grand Final and face rivals Sydney Roosters, but blogger James Millington has some bad news for Bunnies fans - they won't be winning the premiership.
This year's Rabbitohs outfit is the best we’ve seen in 40 years. Their forward pack is the best in the competition, led by the giant set of Burgess brothers, of which Sam is arguably the best Englishman to ever play in the NRL. Hooker Isaac Luke has become the best attacking dummy half in the game.
Better still, the halves compliment each other’s game with John Sutton running great lines and offloading on the left while Adam Reynolds probes down the right side with bullet like passes and an incredible kicking game. The backline is simply electric starring Greg Inglis, currently rugby league's best player and the Rabbits' best hope of winning the coveted Dally M Award in 33 years.
Unfortunately for the sea of Rabbitohs fans it’s not only a team's strengths that will determine their success but more importantly their weaknesses that may just see them fail. And it is South Sydney's weaknesses that will see them fall short of being crowned premiers for the first time in 42 years.
These weaknesses are firstly the inability to follow a game plan. When placed under pressure they just don’t stick to what serves them best and that is punching their big men up the middle, focusing on a quick play of the ball and maintaining a fast tempo that guarantees easy metres and allows Reynolds to control field possession with his kicking game.
In big games this year and last, when placed under pressure and faced with a fierce opposition defence, their structure disappears, the game plan goes out the window and they panic.
They don’t handle being bullied in defence, they shy away from the battle in the middle and go wide far too early providing no room for their backs to operate. This results in poor metres and a lot of pressure being applied to their fifth tackle option, which is so important in today's game.
Across the park the Bunnies possess many strengths, but can they win the 2013 Grand Final? In short, no they cannot.
Unfortunately for the sea of Rabbitohs fans it’s not only a team's strengths that will determine their success but more importantly their weaknesses that may just see them fail. And it is South Sydney's weaknesses that will see them fall short of being crowned premiers for the first time in 42 years.
These weaknesses are firstly the inability to follow a game plan. When placed under pressure they just don’t stick to what serves them best and that is punching their big men up the middle, focusing on a quick play of the ball and maintaining a fast tempo that guarantees easy metres and allows Reynolds to control field possession with his kicking game.
In big games this year and last, when placed under pressure and faced with a fierce opposition defence, their structure disappears, the game plan goes out the window and they panic.
They don’t handle being bullied in defence, they shy away from the battle in the middle and go wide far too early providing no room for their backs to operate. This results in poor metres and a lot of pressure being applied to their fifth tackle option, which is so important in today's game.
Their second weakness lies in their halves. Albeit a great combination, they lack the nerve to perform under pressure. Sutton’s role as captain has certainly improved his involvement, but on the flip side, when his side is under pressure he sometimes tries too hard and can get a bad case of butter fingers and start spewing costly errors.
Youngster Reynolds, meanwhile, seems to let the occasion get the better of him, over thinking things, misdirecting passes, kicking poorly and most importantly going missing for crucial periods of the match. Halves win big games, not get overawed by the moment and lose the plot. It’s that simple.
Thirdly, and I don’t like to single out one player, but in pinpointing the Bunnies weaknesses it's too difficult to ignore winger Nathan Merritt's poor form since returning from his State of Origin disaster earlier this year when failing on his debut for the Blues in Game 2 of the series. He was embarrassingly outclassed and cost the Blues two tries with missed tackles and fumbled his way through the game.
Since that disappointing performance his confidence has shrivelled, he has become extremely suspect under the high ball, his defence has been soft and he has lost some zip from his 30-year-old legs. Undoubtedly, he will be targeted repeatedly by the opposition attack where I’m confident they will get results.
Overall the three reasons the Rabbitohs won't win the 2013 premiership are one in the same - pressure, pressure and pressure. As a team they don’t handle it, the halves don’t know how to cope with it and winger Merritt is scared of it.
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