June 28, 2008

SOUTH Sydney scored the second biggest comeback victory in NRL history with a miraculous 29-28 win over North Queensland at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

Souths looked gone for all money with the lead blowing out to 28-4 in the 49th minute but put on four tries to level the scores in the 75th.

Rookie Chris Sandow then nailed a field goal in the last minute but the drama didn't end there.

Cowboys full-back Anthony Watts managed to squeeze in a field goal attempt of his own after the siren, only to have it charged down by a Souths defender.

The comeback win was second only in the NRL to the Cowboys' own effort in 1998 when they beat Penrith 36-28 after being down 26-0 at half-time.

Souths began well thanks to the return of star recruit Craig Wing however the visitors were unable to capitalise on the early attacking opportunities and the Cowboys were ahead 12-4 at half-time thanks to two converted tries.

In a nine minute blitz after half-time the Cowboys moved to 28-4 with Ash Graham scoring a double and centre partner Ben Harris bagging a four-pointer of his own.

Souths then launched their comeback with three tries in quick succession to Fetuli Talanoa, Beau Champion and Wing to bring the lead back to just six points in the 61st minute.

Luke Capewell crossed in the 74th minute and Issac Luke levelled with a sideline conversion before Sandow's clincher.

South Sydney coach Jason Taylor was pleased with the win but not with how his side came to be 24 points down in the first place.

“It was an amazing comeback and a great performance in the end but the last half an hour of what we did before that wasn't good enough,'' Taylor said.

“We won't dwell on that here, it was a great victory in the end but we have got to play from the start and we certainly didn't.

Despite the 24 point deficit Taylor never lost belief that his side could mount a comeback because of their recent penchant for putting on quick points.

“You never give up completely ... because what we have done the last few weeks,'' he said.

“We are showing that we can score some tries - earlier in the year we definitely would have been gone.''

North Queensland coach Ian Millward said his side, who are last on the ladder after nine straight defeats, were shattered.

“The boys are absolutely devastated; there is not much I can report on,'' he said.

“If you have been involved in sport you can imagine how they feel.

“They played really well there for long periods and controlled the game and the momentum swung and we had to do a lot of defending in the second half.''

The Cowboys' player crisis is set to worsen with representative forward Carl Webb taken to hospital for scans on a suspected broken right ankle sustained midway through the first half.

July 07, 2008

SOUTH Sydney mounted their second miraculous comeback in two weeks to pip the Bulldogs 34-30 in golden point extra time at ANZ Stadium.

With the sides locked at 30-30 after scoring five tries each in 80 entertaining minutes, full-back Luke Capewell scored his second try out wide to give the Rabbitohs victory over a Bulldogs side missing 11 regular first-graders.

The try came in the 87th minute after Dogs prop Jarrad Hickey made a shocking error taking a pass from the kick-off less than 10m from his own line.

Souths were down 24-6 after 45 minutes before mounting a similar comeback to when they were down 28-4 against North Queensland last weekend.

Souths' points came from two tries to Capewell, one each to David Fa'alogo, Craig Wing, Chris Sandow and Fetuli Talanoa while Sandow kicked four goals and Issac Luke one.

The Bulldogs scored tries through Arana Taumata, Brent Crisp, Andrew Ryan, Tim Winitana, and Heka Nanai while Hazem El Masri booted five goals.

The Rabbitohs have now won four straight games for the first time since 1994. This was their first over the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.

The Dogs led 18-6 at halftime courtesy of their greater enthusiasm and only needed to wait another three minutes to extend their lead to 24-6.

Capewell continued a horror night - which had also seen him contribute to two first half Dogs tries - by coming up with an error fielding a kick 10m from his own line and gifting Winitana a four-pointer.

The Rabbitohs' Lazarus act looked on, though, when they hit back with two tries in three minutes.

Capewell went some way to making amends by completing a bust from Wing and, after Beau Champion was held up in the 51st minute, Wing sliced through for his own four-pointer in the 52nd for 24-18.

The momentum stayed with Souths and when Sandow showed his immense potential by stepping and diving over in the 58th minute for 24-24, it was game on.

The Rabbitohs went ahead for the first time, 26-24, in the 61st minute when Sandow kicked a penalty goal before the Dogs were back in front in the 65th when Nanai grounded a Ben Roberts bomb for 30-26.

Talanoa was on hand to skid onto a John Sutton grubber in the 74th minute to tie the scores again at 30-30.

Souths coach Jason Taylor was still finding it hard to believe his side had done it again.

"When it got to 24-6 I felt, well, I suppose we would feel that we could do it again but you wouldn't think that you could do it two weeks in a row," he said.

But Taylor added he would not be allowing any thoughts of a finals appearance after the four consecutive wins.

"We've got a job right now and that's to learn to play from the start of the game because it would be nice to be able to continue to keep doing this, but the facts are that we aren't going to be able to and we need to play for 80 minutes."

Taylor admitted he'd considered replacing Capewell after his clangers, but paid tribute to his 19-year-old villain turned hero.

"In the games that he's played so far he's had some little moments where things haven't been so great but he just picks himself up and gets straight back into it, and in the end he scores the try to win the game.

"That's a great credit to a guy who's 19 years of age and played five first grade games."

Bulldogs captain Andrew Ryan played down scenes of star forward Sonny Bill Williams dressing down his teammates after a penalty for dissent had allowed Sandow to edge Souths ahead.

"Sonny sort of showed a little bit of his frustration as everyone was feeling but that's just things that happen out on the field," Ryan said.

"Sometimes you get a bit frustrated and say what's on your mind I guess but no-one thought too much more of it."