By Chris De Silva and Damien McCartney
Central midfielder Lachlan Ilias just 29 minutes after the match summed up a hell outing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
After seeing his team score six tries in the first half hour of play, Southern coach Jason Demetriou hit his number 7, with Blake Taaffe on the sidelines and Kodi Nikorima moving to the half.
Despite beating the Dragons in the second half, the destructive first half hour turned out to be too deep a hole for the Rabbitohs, with St George Illawarra remaining the winner 32-12 at WIN Stadium.
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When asked about the decision to overthrow Ilias in favor of Taaffe, Demetriou’s initial explanation was that his team “needed some energy” and “had to change the tide” after the sad opening of the competition.
It was a move that surprised legendary migback Johnathan Thurston.
The bench was restless, and with 29 minutes passed FC’s coach gave Lachlan Ilias the opportunity the player had been hoping for.
“Yeah, there’s no way I’d have come out. I’d have stayed there until halfway through and then I could have gotten hooked,” the Cowboys’ big man told Nine’s NRL coverage.
“He dropped the ball after the throw, but to be hooked after 30 minutes, that has to crush his confidence. I think the team really needs to unite around him.
“We have these young halves coming in there and (hopefully) being able to take the team around the park and have test assists, line jump assists and all that stats, but until you start getting into more than 50 games and you start. to master how you do it, you have a lot of work to do.
“It’s a great call for the coach to catch him after a weird 30 minutes, but no doubt the team needs to gather around him now because he will be crushed.”
Tom Burgess and his Rabbitohs teammates watch for another Dragons attempt. (Getty)
A downed Ilias was consoled by veteran teammate Damien Cook in the cutlery after the match, with legendary migback Andrew Johns also surprised by Demetriou’s call.
“I couldn’t imagine how confident they would be (after) being hooked tonight. I find it really amazing that they did this to a young migback,” Johns told Nine’s Thursday Night Knock Off.
“It was great to see Cooky surround himself because he would be embarrassed. I think he has a huge future, Lachlan Ilias, and I was surprised he got hooked. I’m so sorry for him.”
Ilias ‘nightmare began a few seconds after the game when he dropped the opening pitch, immediately putting the Rabbitohs’ defense under immense pressure, and former Sharks captain Paul Gallen suggested that this could have played a role in the Demetriou’s call.
Beginning of nightmare for the Rabbitohs
“He dropped the ball on the first kick of the match,” he said.
“Maybe the coach knew it before the game and he just sensed that he wasn’t there mentally, so he took him out.
“They were totally excited in all areas, especially in the middle. It’s very, very difficult for a half to play with the back of a forward pack that doesn’t move forward. They had very little ball.
“It’s hard for him to be stuck. It’s a tough year for him everywhere. He’s replacing a club legend and they haven’t gone as well as last year, so he’s under a lot of pressure anyway. . “
After the match, Demetriou explained his call and said he would sit down with the 22-year-old and discuss the decision.
Moses Suli of the Dragons celebrates scoring a try. (Getty)
“I haven’t talked to him yet, but I’m sure he’s disappointed,” the South coach said.
“There is nothing I can say right now that makes any difference, but we will sit down and pass.
“We are 14 games … we will sit down and review our preparation and find out how we got to this first part.
“But it doesn’t depend on him (Ilias). It was about trying to get an answer from the team. That first part wasn’t from Lachlan Ilias. It’s part of your learning. He’s not the first young man to have day at the Office.
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“He wasn’t alone. He has resilience, he has a good temper. He’ll definitely learn from it.”
The half-hour stats were devastating for the Bunnies: the Dragons had 70 percent of the Steeden and completed 14 of 16 sets.
The Redfern boys, meanwhile, had only completed five of their first eight sets, and did not touch the ball between the 12th and 22nd minutes. They conceded three tries in that time.
But after that half hour, it was like a different game. The Southerners had 60 percent of the ball and 76 percent of the territory. They ran 280 meters more and made 48 fewer tackles. The Dragons also lost 15 tackles to five of the Bunnies.
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