South Sydney Rabbitohs

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a team in the National Rugby League (NRL), the premier rugby league football competition in Australia.

2005 - Return to Glory?

There was wild partying from Rabbitohs supporters on the afternoon of Sunday, 20/03/05, when Souths bounced back from an all-too anticipated loss to the Roosters the week before. The season was just two rounds old and already the Rabbitohs had a thunderous win on the board - 49-26 over the Parramatta Eels. Luke MacDougall's hat-trick of tries put the Bunnies on cloud 9, along with Joe William's eight conversions and a field goal.

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The Bunnies would be winless again until Round 5, when they disciplined the injury-ridden Newcastle Knights 37-12 at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, before a crowd of 16,162. This raised another interesting point of debate throughout the season - News Ltd. were calling for the Bunnies to abandon South Sydney and become the Central Coast Rabbitohs, especially after the Central Coast controversially lost their bid for a new team to the Gold Coast mid-season. This has met with mixed response, but fans and club officials are vehemently opposed to the idea.

Related Topics:
Newcastle Knights - Gold Coast

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For the next eight rounds, the Bunnies suffered loss after loss to the NRL juggernauts (including form teams Melbourne, Brisbane and Manly but also to fellow basement dwellers Penrith) with the only relief being the bye in Round 8. After a promising start, Season 2005 was shaping up much like the last few Rabbitoh years.

Related Topics:
Melbourne - Brisbane - Manly - Penrith

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Many cite the turning point as Round 13, against the Bulldogs. Souths held the reigning premiers to a 21-all draw, and suddenly momentum seemed to be swinging back the Bunnies' way. A week later they hammered Manly 44-6, and though they went on to lose three more consecutively after that (including a second to arch-rivals St. George-Illawarra Dragons), they have recently bounced back to have won 5 of their last 6, beginning with a 24-14 drubbing of Cronulla-Sutherland at Aussie Stadium, and highlighted with a hard-fought 14-16 downing of the North Queensland Cowboys at Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville. Finally overcoming the Bulldogs in Round 21, they have most recently defeated the Roosters in Sydney 17-16.

Related Topics:
Bulldogs - St. George-Illawarra Dragons - Cronulla-Sutherland - North Queensland Cowboys - Roosters

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All in all, Season 2005 has been by far the most promising since re-admission. The Rabbitohs are currently one of the form sides in the competition and, under coach Shaun McCrae, the Rabbitohs are looking a renewed, young force. Luke MacDougall and Ashley Harrison have both had stellar seasons, though Harrison will unfortunately be leaving the club at the end of the season to play for the Sydney Roosters. Their form in the latter part of the year has been excellent and augers well for the coming season. Their strong finish has handed the bottom place on the NRL ladder to the Newcastle Knights.

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South Sydney finished level on premiership points with the Canterbury Bulldogs - the premiers of 2004.

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