Rusty Souths just fall short

parragirl · Rusty Souths just fall short

South Sydney's Isaac Luke runs with the ball during his side's Australia Day Challenge match with Leeds Rhinos in Jacksonville, Florida.

By Josh Massoud in Jacksonville
January 27, 2008 12:00am

YES, a game of rugby league was played amid yesterday's celebrity-athon in Jacksonville but South Sydney needed a halftime rev-up from coach Jason Taylor to remind them how to play.

Performing in front of a 12,000-strong crowd, including Greg Norman, Russell Crowe, Chris Evert and Dennis Rodman, the undermanned Rabbitohs were perhaps starstruck as Leeds raced to a 26-0 lead at halftime.

More likely, however, it was the stars among the opposition who sent Souths into a daze.

Leeds fielded a full-strength outfit during the opening two quarters, and internationals Kevin Sinfield, Danny Peacock, Keith Senior and Brent Webb flexed their muscle. Souths, on the other hand, rested arguably their four best players - Roy Asotasi, David Kidwell, Nathan Merritt and Craig Wing.

The hyped-up American crowd nevertheless roared their young replacements on to the field. Souths and Crowe had established a positive connection with the locals, but the love-in was threatened with an embarrassing finale after Leeds posted the first five tries.

It was his team's first game in five months but Taylor was far from understanding. "We didn't come here to be embarrassed and if the scoring from Leeds continued in the second half, that's what it would have been," he said. "I wasn't happy and I let the boys know it at halftime."

His blast achieved its desired effect, but the fact Leeds played a mostly second-string side for the remainder also helped Souths' cause.

The Redfern revival took just seven minutes to begin. Five-eighth Ben Rogers collected a surprisingly deft grubber from prop Michael Greenfield to send the fans into raptures. Their delight was doubled in the 54th minute when Issac Luke - Souths' standout player - scored off a 20m bullocking run from dummy half.

Luke's fellow playmaking tyro, Eddie Paea, then brought the Rabbitohs into serious calculations thanks to a jinking effort from close range with 16 minutes left.

The Rhinos rushed Sinfield and Peacock back, but Souths continued to make inroads as the clock elapsed. Eventually, there was only time for a last-second try to young rake George Ndaira and an old-fashioned brawl between Senior and several flustered Rabbitohs.

LEEDS RHINOS 26 (M Diskin, B Webb, R Burrow, K Senior, S Donald tries, K Sinfield 3 goals) SOUTH SYDNEY 24 (B Rogers, I Luke, E Paea, G Ndaira tries, I Luke 2, E Paea, G Ndaira goals) at Hodges Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida. Crowd. 12,000 approx.

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,22049,23116867-5006066,00.html