Game’s greatest try-scorer chasing new slice of history
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The NRL’s greatest try-scorer Alex Johnston has his sights on another slice of history when the Rabbitohs take on Canterbury in this week’s Good Friday blockbuster.
The winger has scored five tries from seven appearances in the annual clash, one behind former Bulldog Josh Morris.
South Sydney teammates Campbell Graham and Latrell Mitchell are close behind on four tries, while Matt Burton is the leading active Canterbury player with three tries in the match.
The two that made history
A crowd exceeding 50,000 is expected for Friday’s tussle at Accor Stadium and Johnston’s Rabbitohs teammates backed him to snare another piece of history.
“We’re proud of him already for what he’s done and he’ll just keep ticking the records off,” centre Jack Wighton said.
“He’s a pretty level-headed guy so he’s been good since breaking the record. He’s been doing some stuff outside of football, which is good to see and he’s enjoying his well-earned love.”
Match: Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
Round 5 -
home Team
Rabbitohs
5th Position
away Team
Bulldogs
6th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Johnston rounds out a lethal South Sydney left edge that has torn teams apart throughout the opening month of the season.
Five-eighth Cody Walker pulls the strings, while edge forward David Fifita has returned to the form that saw him become one of the most damaging ball carriers in the game.
Latrell Mitchell has starred since returning to the centres and creates plenty of opportunities for Johnston to finish off.
Two for Trell
Between them, the edge has scored seven tries in their first three games of the season in an early sign of what’s to come this year.
The Bulldogs don’t need to be reminded about South Sydney’s attacking threats and expect the Rabbitohs to send plenty of traffic towards young playmaker Lachlan Galvin, who defends on his side’s right edge and will line up opposite Walker.
It’s been a common theme all year, with Galvin making so far 88 tackles this season compared to five-eighth Matt Burton’s 46.
“I’ve been watching them and their left edge is really impressive,” Bulldogs prop Max King said. “It’s great to see David Fifita playing good football. They’ve only got Fifita, Latrell and the world’s greatest try-scorer there. They’re obviously doing something right on that left edge for Alex Johnston to reach that goal.
“As a team we’ve got our hands full and our right edge definitely has their hands full. They’ve been really impressive this year and it’s going to take a lot to stop them so we have to be on and at our best.”
While much of the talk has focused on the Rabbitohs left edge, the right flank has quietly gone about their business.
Jack Wighton, who shifted from left centre to right to accommodate Mitchell’s positional shift, has slowly found his feet while winger Campbell Graham has been named to make his return from injury after missing the Round 3 win over the Wests Tigers.
Bulldogs big men fire on Good Friday
Wighton faces a tough defensive effort of his own this week, when he lines up opposite Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton, but said Graham’s return will provide a new dynamic to the South Sydney attack.
“Campbell is just a footy player,” Wighton said. It’s something as little as his talking to wanting to take every tough carry there is on the field, to chasing every kick. He’s an unreal teammate and a great footy player so his presence is awesome.”
“We pride ourselves on being the hardest working edge so the team can get some joy elsewhere. But we’ve got a little bit of something to give too with getting across the line.”
