Junior Reps Win Week One Finals Matches
The South Sydney Rabbitohs SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup teams have progressed through their opening finals matches in their respective competitions with tight wins in week one of the NSWRL Finals Series this weekend, including an extra time thriller in the SG Ball Cup qualifying final.
The results were not as good in the senior pathways matches with both the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup teams going down in their respective round six clashes.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs SG Ball Cup under 19s men’s team defeated the Canberra Raiders in their qualifying final in extra time, 30 points to 28, at HE Laybutt Sporting Complex on Sunday, which will see them progress through to a Grand Final qualifying Preliminary Final in two weeks’ time.
Five-eighth Taj Alvarez scored a double, and was joined on the try scorers list by winger Jacob Fong and back rowers Caelis Samuel and Kaearangi Mathews. However, it was two late penalty goals to fullback Charlie Poynton which stole the victory, one kicked in the final minute of play to level the scores, and the second kicked two minutes into extra time to take the lead with eight minutes of extra time football still to play.
The Rabbitohs played most of the 80-minute game with only 14 men available in an extremely gutsy performance. Alvarez stood out as the best player on the field, and he was ably assisted by Fong, Poynton, middle forwards Maddax Fui, Daniel Lua and Harrison Rooke, hooker Cody Hill and interchange halfback Tylan Berryman.
South Sydney will enjoy a weekend off before playing for a spot in the SG Ball Cup Grand Final in a preliminary final on the weekend of 26-27 April.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 30 (Taj Alvarez 2, Jacob Fong, Kaearangi Mathews, Caelis Samuel tries; Charlie Poynton 4, Taj Alvarez goals) defeated Canberra Raiders 28
The South Sydney Rabbitohs Harold Matthews Cup under 17s boys’ squad defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, 18 points to 14, in their elimination final at HE Laybutt Sporting Complex on Sunday, which sees them progress through to week two of the finals.
Centre Taj Aufai-Farani scored all three of the Rabbitohs’ tries, all in the first half, which saw them lead 18-4 at the half time break.
The Sea Eagles mounted a comeback in the second stanza but the Rabbitohs were good enough to hold them out, knocking the Sea Eagles out of the competition for season 2025.
Aufai-Farani, five-eighth Payton Tarau, lock and captain Keone Anitelea Tsioussis, second rower Diezel Guillonta and prop Anthony Mailangi were the Rabbitohs’ best this week.
The Rabbitohs will now play in week two of the finals in a semi final on the weekend of 19-20 April with their opponents, venue, date and time to be confirmed early this week.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 (Taj Aufai-Farani 3 tries; Payton Tarau 3 goals) defeated Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 14
In the NSW Cup fixture for round six, the South Sydney Rabbitohs fell 30 points to 12 to the North Sydney Bears at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford on Sunday in the first leg of the Mario Fenech Cup for season 2025.
Winger Max Lehmann scored all three of the Rabbitohs’ tries, however the five tries scored by the Sea Eagles was too much for the men in red and green to overcome.
Interchange forwards Toesami Toevai and Devante Mihinui were the Rabbitohs’ best on Sunday. Josh Schuster turned in a strong performance in his first game back in over 12 months, playing at five-eighth for South Sydney in his first game in red and green.
North Sydney Bears 30 defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 12 (Max Lehmann 3 tries)
The South Sydney Rabbitohs Jersey Flegg Cup under 21s men’s team travelled to Melbourne to take on the Storm in round six, going down 40 points to eight on Sunday.
The scores were locked at four-all at half time following a try to captain and second rower Joshua Alhazim, however seven second half tries to the Storm could only be combatted by a single South Sydney try to winger Miles Minto eight minutes from full time.
Melbourne Storm 40 defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 8 (Joshua Alhazim, Miles Minto tries)
