A side stacked with the likes of Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds and Sam Burgess, you’d think South Sydney had enough talent in the squad. Enter Robbie Farah.
Down on his luck, Farah was forced from the club he once captained, booted by coach Jason Taylor, but not before being dropped to reserve grade. In fact, Robbie Farah was playing for the Wests Tiger’s NSW Cup side just ten days after playing State of Origin.
Meanwhile, in Redfern, South Sydney head coach Michael Maguire was coming to terms with the first non-top-eight finish in his NRL coaching career. Only two years after winning a premiership, the Rabbitohs were facing a bottom-four finish to their season and missing the finals for the first time in five years. While the return of prodigal son Sam Burgess stole headlines, the departure of Kiwi rake Isaac Luke hurt Souths more than they could imagine.
Cameron McInnes, a local junior and captain of the Kangaroos Under 20s, simply failed to live up to his name in 2016, suffering a disappointing campaign that saw Damien Cook take the number nine jersey for the last five rounds of the season. And Cook fired. Making his representative debut last week as an All-Star, Cook looked a certainty to make the starting role his own, that was until Farah came along.
So Robbie was in reserve grade. Maguire needed some class out of dummy half. Robbie, meet Michael. Michael, meet Robbie.
Farah made his debut in the cardinal and myrtle on Saturday night, a late inclusion to face Manly on his old stomping ground, Campbelltown Stadium. He nearly scored an early try, only to have the ball dislodged as he went to ground the footy. He nearly put winger Tasi Tasi over the line with cut-out pass close to the try line, only for Tasi to be held up. But despite his maiden 40-minute stint, Maguire says he wants more from the Blues incumbent.
“He and I have discussed what he needs to do and he’s focused on doing those sorts of things.
“I like to see more and more as we keep moving forward. It was 40 minutes and the combinations are going to grow.”
While a pre-season bicep tear threatened to delay his debut for the club, Farah appears a certainty to run out in the starting side for South’s opening match against his former club, the Wests Tigers, on March 3. But Farah can do more than lead the side to a few wins, Farah is the man to help South Sydney regain the precious premiership trophy.
He won his only premiership trophy almost 12 years ago, but there’s no reason he can’t do it again in 2017. His kicking game relieves pressure from Adam Reynold’s shoulders, while his defence around the middle third will be a big boost for the club that leaked over 22 points a game last year. Playing behind a forward pack featuring the likes of the three Burgess brothers, John Sutton, Kyle Turner and recruit Robbie Rochow, Farah will have all the tools at his disposal to resurrect his career.
But to do just that, he needs to focus on step one. That being a win over his former coach and club, and showing the boys from Concord what a mistake they’ve made. And if he plays his cards right, he might prove Jason Taylor wrong all the way up to the first weekend of October.
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