The South Sydney Rabbitohs missed out on the premiership by an intercept and a pivotal suspension in 2021, but things could be about to get tougher to repeat the incredible season in 2022.
South Sydney’s performances came full circle in the second half of the season. After conceding 50 points on two separate occasions, they went breaking the curse of teams conceding 50 never winning a premiership but ultimately came up short on grand final day to the Penrith Panthers.
That intercept pass, combined with the suspension to Latrell Mitchell - who was forced to sit out of the entire finals and will then miss the opening two rounds this season as well - could well have been the difference for the cardinal and myrtle between a premiership and runner-up spot on the podium.
After conceding the 50 points on two separate occasions, they manned up in defence, shaking the tag of flat-track bullies, while also keeping their own attack firing on all cylinders.
It eventually got to the point where the left edge - led by Cody Walker - was simply unstoppable. But the loss of Dane Gagai, as well as the controlling influence of Adam Reynolds means 2022 will hit something of a reset button, although most of the grand final qualifying side is still intact.
Still, when Wayne Bennett’s loss is added to the players mentioned, there is little surprise that some believe the Rabbitohs won’t be quite as dominant as they were throughout 2021.
Their premiership window still looks open, but calling them favourites or anything of the sort would seem something of a foolish endeavour on the surface.
Here are the burning questions that will define their season.
Can Cody Walker have a 2021 repeat?
This is probably the question which will determine exactly how high South Sydney can finish on the ladder in 2022.
Pundits have them anywhere from first down to about sixth on the ladder, but for fans, having come so close last year, anything but a premiership likely won’t be enough to satisfy the appetite for success.
For that to happen, Walker will need to go to the next level.
And not just on the left edge, but he will have to take over a substantial amount of the kicking duties from Adam Reynolds.
He proved he could do it when Reynolds couldn’t kick during the first half hour of the preliminary final against Manly, but that doesn’t mean he can do it for a full season without Reynolds on the field.
What Souths can’t afford is that taking away from his creativity either.
He will need to find a balance - and it’s a critical one if the Rabbitohs are going to end up where they did last year.
Will defensive improvement continue?
During the first half of 2021, there was at times an inevitability over South Sydney games.
Almost as if they went into a majority of contests with the mentality of “Well, you score 30 points and we will score 40.”
Defence never seemed to be all that much of a priority up until they had their pants pulled down by the Panthers and Storm in the middle of the season, letting in 50 twice.
It has been rare over the years for a Wayne Bennett team to not actively pursue defence, but the Rabbitohs started to make it their priority during the second half of the season, and both matches durinbg the finals against the Panthers proved exactly how far they had come.
They do have some of the individual best tacklers in the competition in Cameron Murray and Damien Cook, but this question might be well down to Jason Demetriou and how he adapts to coaching the team.
The attack will still be good, but without Gagai and Reynolds, there could be a drop off, so the defence will need to go to the next level.
How does Adam Reynolds get replaced?
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have, for the last decade (give or take) had Adam Reynolds as their stalwart in the halves.
He has led the club to consistent success, and while it was only one premiership, the Rabbitohs always seemed to be there and abouts when the whips were cracking in September.
He now departs for the Broncos, and is touted as probably the best signing by any club for the season ahead.
That doesn’t come as a surprise, but what does, is the way the Rabbitohs plan to replace him.
They are clearly ready for the future. An increasing role for Walker (as described earlier), and the emergence of Lachlan Ilias, who will need a breakout season with some of the biggest boots to fill by a rookie maybe ever.
The attack needs to be replaced from multiple angles though. Latrell Mitchell is another who must go to a new level, while Damien Cook and Cameron Murray’s roles will expand in the middle third.
From a leadership point of view, it’s similarly on players who have been with the club for years to stand up. Cook and Murray are among them, as is Walker, while Mark Nicholls - who stood in as captain once last year - will aim to lead the forward pack in his final season at Redfern.
Is Dane Gagai a bigger loss than credit is being given for?
The point which isn’t being given a whole lot of exposure or light though is the loss of Dane Gagai.
The excellence of the Rabbitohs’ left edge is often commented on, but the vital link that Gagai played in the centres is being constantly ignored.
His loss to Newcastle is almost as big as that of Reynolds.
It might seem a weird comment to make, but once you factor in that Gagai is one of the best centres defensively this competition has to offer, the enormity of the loss to South Sydney becomes clear.
Can Damien Cook perform when it matters?
While South Sydney had a reputation as somewhat flat-track bullies, Damien Cook shared that reputation as equally as any of his teammates.
Not so much in defence - he is always willing to rock up and do the hard yards on that end of the park.
But in terms of attack, he would often fall away worse than the rest of the team if things weren’t going quite so well, or the forward pack simply wasn’t having their way and marching upfield.
He seemed to iron out some of the kinks at the back end of the season, but that doesn’t mean they were all gone.
He will need to be rock solid in 2022.
