The Rabbitohs launched a stunning comeback to defeat the Dragons 34-24at WIN Stadium in Round 21 last year.
The home side raced to a commanding 20-nil lead after 17minutes; Brett Morris and Matt Cooper’s tries in the left corner were balancedby a pair from Jason Nightingale on the right.
Rabbitohs fullback Rhys Wesser gave his side hope when hesliced through on the right fringe just before halftime for a 20-6 deficit butthe Dragons still appeared well in control.
However, their grip on the game went pear-shaped early inthe second half: three tries in eight minutes saw the red and green take a22-20 lead with 28 minutes remaining.
Dragons fans breathed a sigh of relief when Matt Cooperbagged his second try following a swift left-side sweep to regain the lead inthe 73rd minute – but their world came crashing down again whenDylan Farrell latched onto a Nathan Merritt shuttle pass to plunge over in theright corner for his third try of the afternoon with little more than twominutes remaining.
As it transpired there was still enough time on the clock toscore – except it was the Rabbitohs who grasped the opportunity, with Merrittthe beneficiary of a John Sutton offload from close range to round out thescoreline.
Respect for possession kept the Rabbitohs in the game – theywere 88 per cent effective in completing their sets, compared to the Dragons’75 per cent.
The Rabbitohs were best served by halfback Chris Sandow whowas credited with three try assists, and fullback Wesser who ran for 132metres.
For the Dragons, Brett Morris was a threat running the ballback, with eight tackle busts.