Rabbitohs vs Tigers: A tale of two halves

In a tale of two halves, the South Sydney Rabbitohs overcame a sluggish start to defeat the Wests Tigers 26-16 at Stadium Australia on Saturday night. Coming off a bye, the Rabbitohs looked rusty in the opening exchanges, with the Tigers taking an early 8-0 lead. However, the home side gradually worked their way back into the contest, crossing for two tries before the break to trail by just two points at halftime.

The second half was a different story, with the Rabbitohs dominating possession and territory. They were rewarded for their efforts with three tries in the space of 15 minutes, effectively putting the game to bed. The Tigers never gave up, but they were unable to bridge the gap, with the Rabbitohs ultimately running out 10-point victors.

For the Rabbitohs, Cody Walker was in scintillating form, setting up two tries and scoring one himself. Damien Cook was also impressive, providing a great service from dummy-half, while Latrell Mitchell was his usual dangerous self at fullback. For the Tigers, Luke Brooks was a standout, scoring a try and setting up another. David Nofoaluma was also dangerous on the wing, but ultimately the Tigers were unable to match the Rabbitohs' intensity in the second half.

The win was the Rabbitohs' third in a row, and it moved them into the top four on the NRL ladder. The Tigers, meanwhile, remain in 13th spot, and they will need to start winning soon if they want to avoid another season of struggle.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the match:

• The Rabbitohs are a genuine premiership contender. They have a great balance of youth and experience, and they are starting to hit their straps.
• The Tigers have a lot of potential, but they need to be more consistent. They have shown in the past that they can beat the best teams in the competition, but they also have a habit of losing to the worst teams.
• Cody Walker is one of the most in-form players in the NRL. He is a constant threat to the opposition, and he is starting to develop into a genuine leader for the Rabbitohs.
• The Tigers need to find a way to stop leaking points. They have conceded an average of 28 points per game this season, which is simply not good enough.
• The Rabbitohs are a team on the rise. They have a lot of young talent, and they are starting to gel as a unit. The Tigers, on the other hand, are a team in transition. They have a lot of potential, but they need to find some consistency if they want to be a force in the NRL.