By Louis Anderson-Rich
Hello and welcome to ANZ Stadium where the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs are fighting it out for a place in the NRL Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm.
The match has been labelled a throwback to the glory days for these two Sydney clubs who, for so long, have gone without finals football.
Canterbury have missed out for the last two seasons whilst the Rabbitohs haven’t featured in the finals since 2007.
But both teams have witnessed revivals this season with Des Hasler, Ben Barba, Greg Inglis and rookie of the year, Adam Reynolds shining bright.
So whichever way the game goes, the stuff of legends is on the horizon for at least one side one team
Refresh your browser occasionally and we’ll tell you when we’ve added video highlights with a ‘VIDEO COMING SOON’ then ‘VIDEO UP’ when it’s ready to view.
---------------------------------
LIVE COMMENTARY: Bulldogs 32 – 8 Rabbitohs
81 Min: Try is converted and that’s fulltime!
80 Min: Bit of late drama as Morris tackles Merritt without the ball. None of it matter sthough as the Bulldogs are bound for the rand final and in fact here goes Greg Eastwood right on fulltime to tear away 50 metres down the field to score! TRY! VIDEO COMING SOON
76 Min: Souths still under the pump and it’s Keating chipping a ball over into the right corner and Perrett is in pursuit! He lunges for the ball! But can’t reach it and the bal lgoes out.
75 Min: Bulldogs still pressing for more. Josh Morris has made his way down into the left corner, gets tackled and flicks a pass out the back but can’t find his supporting player.
72 Min: Rabbitohs with one of their first meaningful attacks after some time it’s Inglis coming close to the line! He looks for the offload behind him and he has support! Inu is there to intercept it and come away with it though!
70 Min: … Reynolds to Inu who puts a kick in behind Inglis which goes dead.
69 Min: Easy pickings for the Bulldogs at the moment as they continue to repel every Rabbitohs attack…
68 Min: Dogs still with the ball here is Keating to Jackson who is wrapped up…Keating with a cross-field bomb but Nathan Merritt is up to meet it and claim it.
66 Min: Bulldogs scrum 20 metres out. Eastwood with the ball back to Keating, ball goes loose but Barba picks it up. Now Tolman plays the ball and it’s gone to Ennis who goes himself and the Doggies have 6 more tackles….now Reynolds to Eastwood to Barba to Inu! He;s tackled. Ball back to Josh Reynolds who knocks the ball over the top but Souths manage that and Issac Luke tears away down the right wing….Souths up to the 40. Inu smashes Sutton in a tackle who drops the ball and Inu gains possessions for Canterbury.
VIDEO UP OF PRITCHARD TRY
62 Min: Here come the Bulldogs yet again! It’s Wright hooning down the right side! He has support inside of him but tries to go himself and is tackled. Danger still there for Souths, Keating kicks but Rabbitohs are able to deal with it. Souths got lucky there.
59 Min: Inu lands the kick from right out in front of the posts.
58 Min: Eastwood has found himself in space for the doggies! He’s charging down the centre of the field! Goes back inside to Pritchard and that is another TRY! VIDEO UP
VIDEO UP OF PERRETT SECOND TRY
56 Min: Inu pulls the conversion across so the score remains 20-8.
55 Min: Lengthy amount of replays. But it’s finally given! TRY! VIDEO UP
54 Min: Now it opens up for the Bulldogs it’s Barba to Morris on the left wing! Morris finds a gap! He’s eventually tackled but his support is there quickly and Canterbury put the right wing under the pump. Ball finds it’s way over to Sam Perrett who touches down in the corner! Refs going to TMO!
53 Min: Greg inglis goes on a powerful run from the 30 metre line for the Rabbitohs. Now Michael Crocker who gets to halfway…Now fifth and final for Souths and Sutton with a dreadful kick off the side of the boot, Burgess keeps it in but can only pass it straight into the path of Inu.
50 Min: Commentators just mentioning Krisnan Inu’s miraculous turn-around. Is it all Des Hasler or was it something wrong at the Warriors?...
49 Min: Chris Keating stabs another ball through which is picked up by Everingham this time…Souths on their fifth which is caught by Barba. Another nothing kick.
47 Min Bulldogs starting to open up on attack as Barba finds himself in some space. Now it’s Inu he goes down in the tackle…Tolman goes down and it’s fifth and final, Keating kicks but Inglis is there to claim the ball.
45 Min: Michael Crocker has run the ball up and dropped it short to Asotasi who finds a gap! He’s dropped it backwards though in a tackle! Rabbitohs hold on and they’r on the final tackle. Kick goes up from Sutton and Burgess is up but knocks it on.
44 Min: Keating stabs a kick down to Inglis who charges up a good 15 metres. Now Johnathan Wright but Bulldogs have been penalised so Issac Luke kicks the touch finder which is a very good kick.
41 Min: Bulldog kick off to get us back into it!...Rabbitohs get into the Bulldogs half with their first set and kick on the final….taken well by Perrett…Here’s Barba getting the ball into the deep-end! Now Ennis to Reynolds who kicks but Merritt takes the ball.
Second half just about to begin as the teams get back out on the field Let us see how this second half pans out…
41 Min: Krisnan Inu is absolutely spot on with his kick and that’s halftime!
VIDEO UP OF PERRETT TRY
40 Min: Here’s a penalty after a high tackle from Burgess and a bit of afters to go with it. Tackle didn’t look to bad but here is the Bulldogs with a big chance…Reynolds back to Inu out to Barba to Keating and now Morris…Bulldogs ten metres out and it’s Barba stabbing a little grubber through! And Wright has pounced on it! What a TRY! VIDEO UP
38 Min: The 8 Point try has been awarded which means Inu will get to have two pops at converting….and the first one has missed. But here comes the second one from right out in front…Which Inu gets this time to give the dogs the lead.
37 Min: Well the referees are currently deciding on whether an 8-point try should be awarded…Sam Burgess had come in with a rough tackle after Perrett scored. I think that’s the point of contention.
36 Min: Bulldogs have made a burst and it’s Sam Keating inside to Morris who bolts down the line now Barba bearing down on the tryline! He’s tackled! Comes back out to Josh Reynolds who puts up the cross-field bomb! And Sam Perrett has caught it and fallen over the line! TRY! VIDEO UP
VIDEO UP OF DISALLOWED TRY
32 Min: Another mistake from the Dogs deep in their territory as Dale Finucane lost the ball forwards in a tackle. Scrum to Souths…Sam Burgess takes the ball up, now Peats to Luke back to Inglis…Inglis plays it and Tyrell hits the line hard and now here’s Crocker a metre out! Caught up in a brutal tackle. But now it’s Inglis over the line! But he’s held up!
31 Min: Inglis starting to come out of his shell now as he picks up a loose kick and then beats two players an makes 10 metres….
30 Min: TMO’s called no try! Replays show Morris did hit the line and that is a brilliant try-saving tackle from Inglis. To make matter worse if Morris went inside to Barba it was try-time. VIDEO COMING SOON
29 Min: Graham of the Bulldogs has found Barba who gives it outside to Josh Morris in plenty of space! He’s taring down the right wing! Inglis is in pursuit! Morris lunges for the line as does Inglis and it looks like it will go to the TMO!
28 Min: Souths still deep in the Bulldogs territory they’re 8 metres out. Peats goes to Sutton. Final tackle and it’s Luke who puts in a grubber but Barba reads that like a book and cleans up.
27 Min: Rabbitohs fans turn away. Rookie of the year Adam Reynolds has pulled up with a nasty hamstring injury. And he has come off, just as the Luke-Reynolds combo was beginning to fire.
26 Min: Issac Luke with the ball on halfway almost spills it but gets the offload away now fifth and final for Souths and Adam Reynolds kicks down field, fantastic kick as the ball sits up right in the inline which Josh Morris picks up and is forced dead.
25 Min: Bulldogs can’t get out of their own half at the moment. Speak of the devil now they do and Josh Reynolds puts a kick into the corner which goes into touch. Scrum to Rabbitohs.
24 Min: Here’s David Taylor getting rid of Keating and makes it up to the halfway line…Souths fifth and final and Sutton’s kick is high down to Sam Perrett.
22 Min: It was Josh Morris who was penalised for changing his line. Rabbitohs with a kick at goal…that Adam Reynolds lands.
21 Min: …Luke to McQueens back inside to Inglis who almost gets through the line, back to Adam Reynolds who kicks for the fifth and final. Bulldogs take it down easy and are then penalised by the ref? apparently for an obstruction which the replays show was a touch as light as a feather.
20 Min: Bulldogs with their fifth and final and Josh Reynolds kicks it straight down the ground to Inglis, who has been pretty quiet…
19 Min: … Dave Taylor with a big run now Crocker to Sutton who drives the ball back to Barba who takes the first tackle. Dave Taylor is monstering his defensive duties at the moment…
18 Min: Big Keating finds Inglis back behind his tryline running the ball out…
VIDEO UP OF EASTWOOD ON LUKE TACKLE
17 Min: Now the Souths coming at the Bulldogs as Sutton gets through the first line of defence! Can he get an offload away! No he can’t and Chris McQueens has knocked it on. That should have been a try.
16 Min: replays show Luke fell into Eastwood so no action taken…Keating with a kick and Luke is back on his feet to charge the ball down, Barba races back to gather it and then beats Luke and sets off on a run and is tackled by Taylor who wins the ball back for Souths.
15 Min: Bulldogs a bit sloppy in their own half but they manage to hold on. On the fifth and in their own half. Keating kicks and it takes a deflection of Burgess but Souths regather…now here comes big Dave Taylor who spills the ball backwards, Luke picks it up and the Souths get to their fifth tackle after Luke got crunched in a tackle and he’s not getting up…VIDEO UP
14 min: Souths have made some good ground with their set, they’re up to the 40 metre line and the ball goes on the boot of Adam Reynolds but Barba is there to claim it.
12 Min: Bulldogs with some good running ball as Inu and Barba link up to gain a solid 20 metres. Now Ennis to Keating to Morris who is swamped by Souths defenders. Tolman takes it up a little further and Reynolds (Josh) kicks and it goes dead for the restart.
11 Min: Here come the Souths with Issac Luke on a darting dummy half run again. Now Adam Reynolds puts a kick in that finds the line brilliantly, 5 metres from the Bulldogs tryline.
8 Min: The New Zealand international Issac Luke has levelled the scores and Adam Reynolds converts the try.
7 Min: Souths with their first extended period of the ball…and they’ve got a penalty. Burgess goes hard up the left side of the ground! Now Issac Luke to Sutton to Burgess again…Souths 10 metres out and they’ve got a penalty as well. Here is Roy Asotasi hitting the line hard and here is Issac Luke from dummy half and he’s scored! TRY! VIDEO COMING SOON
VIDEO UP OF LATEST ACTION AND TRY
5 Min: So Bulldogs start another attack…Keating to Pritchard who is taken down by three defenders…Keating with a little kick through and it’s gone a decent distance and out.
3 Min: So it’s a penalty to the dogs and they have it 10 metres away…ball finds it’s way out on the wing with Josh Reynolds plays it off to former Warriors man Inu! He goes over the line! TRY! VIDEO UP
2 Min: It looks like the ref has pulled the play way back after Keating got hit by a late and high tackle by Michael Crocker who’s been put on report. VIDEO UP
1 Min: Souths kick off to the Bulldogs and we are underway! Barba gets the first touch and tolman is involved in the first hit-up…now Keating off to Barba who manages to get the ball to Morris who is charging down the left side he’s made some ground! Now Pritchard to Ennis to Jackson to Reynolds over on the other wing…Keating with a kick on the fourth the ball is knocked back and it’s Baraba, Bulldogs keep the ball alive with a kick over the top but Inglis cleans it up.
And the home side, the Bulldogs. Here we go ladies and gentleman, boys and girls. Strap yourself in for a cracker.
Tremendous atmosphere at this all-Sydney preliminary final as the Rabbitohs walk out the tunnel.
We can’t be far away now from kick-off, the players have just hit the sheds for their final team-talks. This match is going to be a ‘ripper’, so grab your ‘eskies’ and ‘thongs’ and crack open a VB.
It has just been brought to my attention that this article’s headline says Canberra Bulldogs. My many apologies to any Bulldogs fans, obviously I am aware that Canberra is a) not in Sydney and b) have their own team called the Raiders. The mistake has been rectified.
All of the stars at the game tonight. Die-Hard Souths man Russell Crowe’s been spotted looking hard, while Hugh Jackman’s sporting the biggest chops on his face I’ve ever seen.
Well it’s looking like a lovely night at ANZ stadium at the moment, plenty of people in attendance and we aren’t far from kick off.
Not far away from kick off, stay tuned for live commentary of the match. We will also have progressive HIGHLIGHTS from the match as they happen.
While you wait check out our video from last night’s semi-final between Melbourne Storm and the Manly Sea Eagles.
---------------------------------
Teams:
Bulldogs: 1. Ben Barba, 2. Sam Perrett, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Krisnan Inu, 5. Jonathan Wright, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Kris Keating, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Michael Ennis, 10. Sam Kasiano, 11. Frank Pritchard, 12. Josh Jackson, 13. Greg Eastwood.
Interchange: 14. James Graham, 15. Dale Finucane, 16. Corey Payne, 17. David Stagg, 18. Dene Halatau.
Rabbitohs: 1. Greg Inglis, 2. Nathan Merritt, 3. Chris McQueens, 4. Dylan Farrell, 5. Andrew Everingham, 6. John Sutton, 7. Adam Reynolds, 8. Luke Burgess, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Roy Asotasi, 11. Sam Burgess, 12. David Taylor, 13. Michael Crocker
Interchange: 14. Nathan Peats, 15. David Tyrell, 16. Eddy Pettybourne, 17. Ben Lowe, 18. Justin hunt, 19. Jason Clark.
Pregame Banter:
South Sydney coach Michael Maguire is resigned to Canterbury superstar Ben Barba having an impact on Saturday's NRL preliminary final, but isn't making any special plans to stop him.
Barba has flourished this season under Des Hasler, who's turned him from an exciting but defensively suspect fullback into the league's player of the year.
The 2012 campaign has been littered with Barba highlights and his performances helped the Bulldogs claim a first minor premiership since 1994 - earning him the Dally M Medal in the process.
Barba scored a try in Canterbury's 23-18 win over Souths when the sides last met in round 13, but was largely subdued when the Rabbitohs prevailed 20-10 in the side's first meeting in April.
And Maguire is aware of what's required from his team to keep the 23-year-old in check and reach a first grand final in 41 years.
"He's going to come into the game at some stage," Maguire says.
"You've just got to make sure you're working together to nullify what he throws at you.
"If you kick the ball down to him on the full, he's going to bring it back with speed and he's going to have support there.
"Everyone knows what the players are capable of doing and it's a matter of making sure that you're concentrating on those periods."
Souths recovered well from the lesson handed to them by a red-hot Melbourne in the opening round of the finals to comfortably beat Canberra last week.
The victory co-coincided with Maguire's decision to restore bad-boy hooker Issac Luke to the starting line-up.
A three-match suspension for a dangerous tackle on Sydney Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall in round 19 was followed by a week-long spell in reserve grade for the Kiwi rake after he broke a team curfew.
But he was back to his best in the 38-16 win over the Raiders with Nathan Peats dropping back to the bench to accommodate Luke and Maguire was delighted with his response.
"Issac came in and did his job really well for the team," he says.
"I was really impressed. He understood what we're creating here and he's a part of a culture that we're building here.
"He bounced back and he's performed the way he should."
3News/NZN