All 3 Grades Qualify
All of South Sydney's three grade sides have qualified for their respective finals series. It is the first time the Club has been so successful throughout the grades since 1989. This season the South Sydney first grade side has finished seventh and will play finals for the first time since 1989 against Manly on Saturday night. The Club's premier league team the North Sydney Bears finished fifth and will play the Knights on Sunday, and the Souths Juniors Jersey Flegg side qualified eighth and will meet the Panthers on Saturday night. South Sydney Chief Executive Shane Richardson said the results are a credit to all the players, coaches and support staff associated with the Club. "I am absolutely delighted at the form all three of our sides have shown this year, from first grade through to premier league and the youngsters in Jersey Flegg," Richardson said. "It has been a great year for the Club but by no means are we finished yet. All three grades are genuine premiership contenders and it promises to be an exciting month of finals for all Rabbitohs fans. All in all it is an outstanding result that bodes well for the future. Also remembering that our Queensland partner Easts Tigers made the finals of the Queensland Cup."
Rabbitohs coach Jason Taylor has named his side for the NRL’s third qualifying final against the Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval on Saturday night September 8 at 8.30pm. Referee is Shane Hayne. South Sydney coach Jason Taylor has put his hand up and taken the blame for his side's inept finish to the regular season - but has vowed to have the Bunnies firing again this weekend. With their first finals appearance since 1989 already secure, the Rabbitohs blew a golden opportunity to move up the NRL ladder on Saturday night. They produced one of their worst performances of the season in going down to arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters, the loss dropping them to seventh spot and leading critics to claim they would be first round finals fodder for Manly. But Taylor said he was confident the limp display was just an aberration. "I should have actually got the message across that we can make a big difference to where we are in the finals if we win this game, Taylor said. "I don't know if that would have changed it ... I think there was a little bit of 'we'll just turn up and be okay'. "If I had my time over again I'd approach it differently but we're in the eight and we're playing this weekend against Manly and that's exciting." It was certainly buzzing at South Sydney's Erskineville Oval training base on Tuesday with Rabbitohs players hamming it up before a large media contingent. They certainly didn't seem to be weighed down by the loss to the Roosters, with Taylor saying the side had moved on. "We've got to make sure that we don't allow that to happen again but there were reasons behind it," Taylor said. "We've talked about that in detail and all the boys have had a bit to say about where they thought they were at mentally and where we're at now going forward so we've well and truly put that behind us." Asked if he was concerned his side may have placed too much importance on just making the finals, Taylor said: "It wasn't a worry, it's real. "When a team hasn't made it for 18 years and when you make it, it's an achievement. "Probably the mistake I made was not addressing it as hard as I probably should have on Saturday morning." The loss to the Roosters aside, the Bunnies have been one of the form teams of the competition, having won five of their last seven matches. Part of that run includes a 37-12 hammering of Wests Tigers and a 24-18 victory over the Sea Eagles in round 23, Taylor admitting the win would give the Rabbitohs a lift. "It gives you some confidence that's for sure - the time before that we played them at Brookvale we didn't score a try," he said. "Had they beaten us again, and at halftime it looked like they might have been going to do a similar thing to us, that might have been a blow to the confidence. "It makes us realise that it's possible but it doesn't mean that it will happen that's for sure. "There wouldn't be too many people who are going to tip Souths to win, they might tip us but they won't put any money on us I'd imagine." The Bunnies named an unchanged line-up for the trip across the harbour with Manase Manuokafoa to come into the side should David Fa'alogo be unsuccessful in beating a striking charge at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night. The Rabbitohs NRL side is:
1. Talanoa, Fetuli 2. Hegarty, Shannon 3. Vagana, Nigel 4. Gordon, Yileen 5. Mellor, Paul 6. Williams, Joe 7. Smith, Jeremy 8. Cusack, Peter (c) 9. Rigon, Shane 10. Asotasi, Roy (c) 11. Sutton, John 12. Fa’alogo, David 13. Rogers, Ben Interchange: 14. Luke, Issac 15. Widders, Dean 16. Stuart, Luke 17. Grenfield, Michael 18. Manuokafoa, Manase Coach – Jason Taylor
The North Sydney Bears NSW Premier League side will play the Newcastle(5v4) at Newcastle International Sports Centre on Sunday September 9 kickoff 3:00pm.
1. Peachey, David 2. Simmonds, Reece 3. Paulson, Germaine 4. Nichols, Greg 5. Boston, Troy 6. Champion, Beau 7. Paea, Eddie 8. Manuokafoa, Manase 9. Irvine, Daniel 10. Lowe, Jamien 11. McPherson, Shannon 12. Pettybourne, Eddy 13. Lowe, Ben 14. Bobongie, Jardine 15. Geddes, Scott 16. Verlinden, Ryan 17. Falemaka, Joe 18. Gordon, Issac 19. Ta'akimoeaka, Conrad Coach - Wayne Lambkin
The South Sydney Rabbitohs U20 Jersey Flegg side will play the Penrith(8v1) at Penrith Park on Saturday Sep 8 starting at 5:00pm The South Sydney Rabbitohs U20 team is
1. Nathan, BJ 2. Maafu, Kuki 3. Coleman, Steve 4. Iosefo, Joseph 5. North, Chad 6. McKay, David 7. Reddy, Caleb 8. Tovo, Sione 9. Joseph, John 10. Browne, Tim 11. Powell, Andy 12. Fale, Fonua 13. Seelin, Troy 14. Swandling, Adam 15. Barakat, Nathan 16. Moli, Anga 17. Hooper, Jade 18. El-Zbaidieh, Abbey 19. Fo'ouakauloa, Hala 20. Kwok, Ian 21. Pitman, Cameron Coach - John Amatto
The North Sydney Bears NSW Premier League side will play the Penrith(4v5) at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday September 15 kickoff 4:00pm.
1. Peachey, David 2. Simmonds, Reece 3. Paulson, Germaine 4. Gordon, Yileen 5. Boston, Troy 6. Champion, Beau 7. Williams, Joe 8. Geddes, Scott 9. Irvine, Daniel 10. Greenfield, Michael 11. McPherson, Shannon 12. Pettybourne, Eddy 13. Lowe, Ben 14. Bobongie, Jardine 15. Ta'akimoeaka, Conrad 16. Verlinden, Ryan 17. Falemaka, Joe 18. Nichols, Greg 19. Paea, Eddie 23. Gordon, Issac Coach - Wayne Lambkin
The North Sydney Bears NSW Premier League side will play the Balmain-Ryde(2v4) at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday September 23 kickoff 3:30pm.
1. Peachey, David 2. Simmonds, Reece 3. Paulson, Germaine 4. Gordon, Yileen 5. Boston, Troy 6. Champion, Beau 7. Williams, Joe 8. Geddes, Scott 9. Irvine, Daniel 10. Greenfield, Michael 11. McPherson, Shannon 12. Pettybourne, Eddy 13. Lowe, Ben 14. Bobongie, Jardine 15. Ta'akimoeaka, Conrad 16. Verlinden, Ryan 17. Falemaka, Joe 18. Nichols, Greg 19. Paea, Eddie 23. Gordon, Issac Coach - Wayne Lambkin
The North Sydney Bears NSW Premier League side will play the Parramatta(2v1) at Stadium Australia on Sunday September 30 kickoff 3:55pm.
1. Peachey, David 2. Simmonds, Reece 3. Paulson, Germaine 4. Gordon, Yileen 5. Boston, Troy 6. Champion, Beau 7. Williams, Joe 8. Geddes, Scott 9. Irvine, Daniel 10. Greenfield, Michael 11. McPherson, Shannon 12. Pettybourne, Eddy 13. Lowe, Ben 14. Bobongie, Jardine 15. Ta'akimoeaka, Conrad 16. Verlinden, Ryan 17. Falemaka, Joe 18. Nichols, Greg 19. Paea, Eddie 22. Nasio, Valu 23. Gordon, Issac Coach - Wayne Lambkin