Parramatta's wingers played a starring role on Friday night as the Eels easily accounted for the Rabbitohs 30-12 at ANZ Stadium. Bevan French crossed twice for the blue and golds while Semi Radradra scored one of the individual tries of the season as the Eels spoiled John Sutton's return from injury.
Another freakish try stuns Rabbitohs
Last week it was Tim Simona breaking South Sydney hearts with a freakish try. This week it was Semi Radradra's turn.
While the Wests Tigers centre was on hand to finish off a spectacular team try, Friday night's length-of-the-field effort is sure to go down as the individual try of the year.
With two minutes left and the game already in the bag, Kangaroos winger Radradra had every right to go to ground after he intercepted a long pass from Luke Keary.
Instead, he decided to take on the entire South Sydney team, first stepping past the initial wave of four defenders, before he sprinted past a desperate ankle tap, dummied inside and out and then raised his right arm in celebration as he touched down for the spectacular 95-metre solo effort.
Two-try hero Bevan French is more than capable of long-range tries, but is happy to leave them to his more experienced wing partner for now.
"I'll just leave that up to Semi I think. I'll get the easy tries from five metres out and I'll leave the 100-metre tries to Semi," he said.
"I was just out there bludging on the wing looking for air. I saw him starting to run so I thought I better start running as well. He's just a freak, there's no other way to explain it."
Eels coach Brad Arthur agreed.
"Semi's a freak," he said.
"There's nothing you can do coaching-wise with Semi. He's gifted and we're lucky."
Try-scoring streak continues for French
Speaking of French, the rookie winger took his try-scoring tally to four from just three NRL appearances with his first career double in the top-grade.
The 20-year-old scored a try in each half on Friday night to continue his dream run in the NRL.
Eels coach Brad Arthur has been very pleased with his young star's form and believes he will only get better with experience
"We brought him in to finish movements for us… he's a finisher," Arthur said.
"He's still got a lot to learn and he needs to learn where to put himself in the game. He's only going to grow and get better."
Sutton's return not enough for the Bunnies
One of the few positives for South Sydney on the night was the return of veteran back-rower John Sutton.
The one-club man ran out for the Rabbitohs for the first time since suffering a serious pectoral injury against the Roosters in Round 1, and finished the game as one of his side's biggest contributors.
Sutton led the Rabbitohs with 124 metres and had some classy touches on the left-edge in an encouraging 74-minute display.
"I'm very proud of John," Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire said after the match.
"He came back a little early and he came back and performed quite well – actually very well for the team.
"His presence in the team was definitely showing out there. We've just got to make sure that everyone else is lifting their game the same as what John was able to find today."
South Sydney's defensive woes continue
South Sydney is going through its worst defensive period in nearly five years with the Bunnies conceding 20 or more points for the eighth-straight game.
It's an unwanted streak they haven't experienced since a seven-game stretch that started in the final three games of the 2011 season and continued over the first four rounds of 2012.
It's a staggering statistic considering they were the most frugal defensive unit in their premiership-winning season when they allowed only 361 points in 2014.
Home sweet Homebush for Eels
It wasn't long ago that the Eels dreaded travelling to Sydney's Olympic Park.
From 2010-2014 the blue and golds lost 14 matches in a row at the venue in what was one of the worst streaks at any ground in the NRL.
Suddenly, however, ANZ Stadium has become Parramatta's home away from home with the Eels winning all four of their games there in 2016.
Friday night's win also ended a dreadful run against the Rabbitohs that had seen them lose nine of the past 10 meetings between the sides.
