With their victory over St George Illawarra in the 2024 Charity Shield, Souths go undefeated.
With a commanding performance against the Dragons in their opening game of the season, the Rabbitohs have managed to hold onto the Charity Shield.
The second half saw the Rabbitohs take control of the game and end up winning 28-6 after what had initially been a close game.
The Dragons made an early threat down the right side, with Tom Eisenhuth coming close after gathering in a chip kick from Ben Hunt, only to be shoved into touch by Jacob Gagai and Alex Johnston in the cover.
The Rabbitohs also had opportunities; in the 22nd minute, Tevita Tatola almost found a way through a gap in the defense with some brilliant last-minute footwork at the line.
Following a scoreless 36 minutes, the Rabbitohs were eventually able to take the lead through Jacob Host, who pounced on a loose ball and scored unmarked after Lachlan Ilias’ heavy hit forced a Dragons error near the line.
In just a few minutes, the Dragons answered back when Mikaele Ravalawa collected a misdirected pass and raced 45 meters to score close to the goal posts, tying the score at six all at the half.
Shortly after the interval, Rabbitoh Braidon Burns, who was back, crossed the line to give the Rabbitohs a 12-6 advantage.
The defense was drawn in by some deft short passing from middle player Cameron Murray to recent addition Sean Keppie. After Keppie offloaded and Burns made a fast move through the hands to the right, he finished with a relatively simple finish, even for him.
The next player to register a point was Davvy Moale, who went down under the goalposts after Peter Mamouzelos hit a clean ball at dummy half.
Souths had their sights set on a fifth try for a bonus point on the NRL Pre Season Challenge ladder, but time was running out.
Souths were given one last chance due to a late mistake by the Dragons, and they would not be denied, as Richie Kennar scored off a Taane Milne chip at full time.
After that, Burns scored his second try of the game to seal the outcome. This time, former Raider Jarrett Subloo—making his debut in the red and green—benefitted him with a stunning cut-out ball in the style of the Harbour Bridge.
There were numerous offensive near-misses during an exciting, scoreless first quarter in which both teams traded attacking opportunities.
Jacob Host of Souths scores the first goal of the match in the 37th minute after Lachlan Ilias forced a mistake from the Dragons by making heavy contact with Tyrell Sloan.
At the halfway point, Mikaele Ravalawa cleans up a stray pass and runs 45 meters to score uncontested for a 6-all victory, giving the Dragons a chance to respond.
Braidon Burns’ try in the second half gives Souths their first points back at 12–6.
In the sixty-third minute, Davvy Moale crashes under the posts to give the Rabbitohs an 18-6 lead.
Braidon Burns scores his second try of the match after Jarrett Subloo throws a peach of a ball.
As the full-time siren sounds, the Rabbitohs attempt to score a point to Richie Kennar, securing the bonus.
In this instance, it was the Rabbitohs’ third attempt of the evening that gave them the upper hand and led to their eventual victory. Braidon Burns scored his first try back in the Rabbitohs colors after a fantastic shift to the right, which was made possible by some very skillful middle-field interplay between Cameron Murray and Sean Keppie.
What Comes Next?
Round 2 of the NRL Pre-Season Challenge will feature a trip to PointsBet Stadium to play the Sydney Roosters, the team’s bitter rivals, as part of a double header with the Sharks taking on the Bulldogs.
