'I didn't know how to celebrate': Practice makes perfect for Ilias

A field goal challenge with Latrell Mitchell at South Sydney’s captain’s run gave Lachlan Ilias the confidence to put his hand up to kick the match winner in Saturday night’s 13-12 extra time win against Manly.

Ilias and Mitchell practiced after training at Redfern on Friday and the Greek World Cup halfback hit the ball so sweetly that team-mates and coaching staff urged him to be ready if needed in the Accor Stadium clash.

After two attempts by Mitchell failed to break the 12-12 deadlock, Ilias told hooker Damien Cook he was available to have a shot and calmly nailed the 25 metre field goal from the right side of the ruck in the 82nd minute.

“It was my first field goal in the NRL, so I didn’t really know how to celebrate. It was pretty special,” Ilias said.

“I think we just composed ourselves. Trell was ready and I was ready, so I think everyone was just on the same page.

“It is something we work on every week at training. Me and Trell always do that, and we have some challenges against each, but it is just cool to get the win.”

Mitchell had previously been the only member of the Rabbitohs team to have kicked a field goal in an NRL match and he had an attempt before the end of regular time that was wide of the posts.

A second attempt was abandoned after a poor pass to a deep Mitchell enabled the Sea Eagles defence to rush up on the star fullback, so Ilias made sure he was in position when Souths got their next chance.

“I just told Cookie at the start of golden point that I will be ready because I know they are going to rush Trell,” Ilias said.

“Trell is the first option, of course, but I just told him I would be ready if he wanted to make that call.

“Cookie is going to pass it to either person, but he could probably feel the markers edging towards Trell’s side and I just told him I would be on his right, and the ball came to me.

As they were leaving Accor Stadium after dedicating the emotion charged win to memory of John Sattler, team-mates were calling Ilias "clutch" in reference to his field goal heroics.

“I’ve done a couple in under 20s but to do my first one in such a special game, and a pretty emotional week, was pretty cool.

“I hit it pretty well, to be honest. It was pretty surreal when it went over. I didn’t really know how to celebrate and all the boys got around me and I was chuffed to be honest.”