Warriors fall to Rabbitohs in another heavy loss

PHOTOSPORT

Chris Satae summed up the Warriors bad night against the Rabbitohs.

The Warriors have suffered another big defeat as their patchy form continues, this time going down 30-10 to the Rabbitohs at Mt Smart Stadium.

It's their fourth defeat this season and third at home. Their fans will be thankful for the good start to the season, because they've been too hot and cold since.

This was a pivotal game for the Warriors before the bye week. The only thing about them that's been consistent over their last eight games has been their inconsistency.

GETTY IMAGES

Tom Burgess got the scoring underway for the Rabbitohs at Mt Smart Stadium.

Yes, they're going to be a top eight season this year, but are they a top four side? You do have to wonder now.

With Shaun Johnson and Mason Lino out injured, it was Plan C for the Warriors at halfback, with Peta Hiku moving in from centre.

Hiku, who played in the halves for the Kiwis on their tour to England in 2015, wasn't going to be a halfback with great distribution skills, sending off that incredible pass to put someone into a gap.

But he did kick well and one skill he does have over Johnson and Lino is being a more direct ball runner and he caused issues for the Rabbitohs by being a threat early in a set.

The Warriors hit early with Agnatius Paasi bulldozing his way over from a few metres out in the sixth minute and Issac Luke, an underrated goal kicker, slotted over the extras.

Tuivasa-Sheck produced a stunning tackle on Campbell Graham a few minutes later when it looked as though the Rabbitohs were going to score from an overlap on their right edge.

More bad news for the Bunnies came in the 10th minute when Tom Burgess was sin-binned for repeated penalty offences by his team.

But his twin brother, George, restored honour to the family name five minutes later, superbly stretching out to ground the ball over the line.

It was concerning that none of the five players who attempted to tackle him could stop the big Englishman from getting to the line and it was a sign of what was to come.

The Rabbitohs got their second try with a man in the bin a few minutes later, as Robert Jennings ran in untouched on the left edge.

Reynolds kicked a penalty to give the Rabbitohs a 12-6 lead in the 27th minute as his team started to dominate the middle of the field.

Greg Inglis exposed more woeful defending from the Warriors 10 minutes before the break to score his seventh try of the season.

Tom Burgess got the next Rabbitohs try as the Warriors completely fell apart. They did come close to picking up a try in the last minute of the half, but Chris Satae dropped the ball over the line.

Whatever was said by Stephen Kearney at halftime didn't work, because John Sutton ran through a yawning gap in the Warriors' defence for the next try in the 45th minute.

The second half meandered along until the 62nd minute when Tohu Harris was sent to the bin for taking out Sutton after he'd grubbered the ball in goal.

Fifteen minutes from time the march to the exit signs started for many of the 15,958 in the crowd.

Those who left missed Roger Tuivasa-Sheck limping off with a sprained ankle, something that will be of concern to the club over the next 24 hours.

They also missed Sam Burgess being sin-binned and Solomone Kata scoring a try, but that was of little consequence.

Rabbitohs 30 (George Burgess, Robert Jennings, Greg Inglis, Tom Burgess, John Sutton tries; Adam Reynolds 5 goals). Warriors 10 (Agnatius Paasi, Solomone Kata tries; Issac Luke goal) HT: 22-6.