Canberra Raiders have seen off a second-half South Sydney surge as a sublime solo try by Kaeo Weekes helped thwart an attempted Rabbitohs comeback in his side’s 36-34 win at Optus Stadium.
In a gripping, pulsating affair, the Raiders shot out to an 20-point lead at the break before South Sydney clawed their way back into the game.
But just when it looked as if the Rabbitohs were coming home with a wet sail, Weekes set off on a mazey run which he began almost on his own goal-line before he arrowed through the defences and shifted into sixth gear to score an incredible individual try.
Weekes’ brilliant looked to have ended their opponents’ insurgence — but led by record-breaking winger Alex Johnston, South Sydney almost pulled a rabbit out of the hat as they refused to accept defeat.
It came down to a Latrell Mitchell high ball and a Johnston leap as time ran down, but it proved a bridge too far for Johnston as the ball fell to the turf, the near-magical comeback incomplete.
The Rabbitohs had suffered an early blow when full-back Jye Gray suffered a left shoulder injury, prematurely ending his involvement in proceedings and forcing influential centre Latrell Mitchell to shift into Gray’s role.
It took almost 20 minutes for a score, but it was the Raiders who broke the deadlock as Tom Starling’s clever grubber kick was touched down by Hudson Young to give his side a 6-0 lead.
South Sydney hit back as Mitchell and Johnston combined out wide to free up Cody Walker to find the line, although a missed conversion maintained Canberra’s lead.
And five minutes later, a fumbled, attempted tip pass by Mitchell saw Savelio Tamale swoop on the loose ball and take it to the house to push out the Raiders’ lead further.
It was two moments of magic by Simi Sasagi which put Canberra in the box seat at half-time, as he broke down the right edge and picked out Weekes for an easy try.
And in the the final moments of the half, he smashed through the line along the same wing and survived an ankle-tap to tee up Young for his second of the day.
Down 24-4 at the half, Campbell Graham came close to drawing first blood for South Sydney after the restart but was foiled by a knock-on, but Walker hit the scoreboard again soon after, the 15th double of his career.
Minutes later, the comeback was well and truly on when Tallis Duncan played in Johnston and the winger galloped away before his in-bound pass was gleefully accepted by Jamie Humphreys.
Within five minutes, there was a single score in it as Mitchell barged over from close range before converting his own good work to make it a two-point ball game.
But momentum swung back in an instant as Weekes scored one of the tries of the season, leading the Rabbitohs defence on a merry dance which started almost on his own goal line as he weaved around the defence before straightening up and punching a hole in the line, turning on the afterburners and streaking away untouched.
The Rabbitohs’ race looked to have been run when Young cracked the right edge and set up Strange to sprint home under the posts to ectend their lead to 14 with 10 to play.
But South Sydney were not going to die wondering and not long after what appeared to be a Johnston consolation try, Jack Wighton’s converted try made it a two-point deficit with three minutes to play.
It came down to the final set as another line-break gave South Sydney excellent position, but they could not quite find the quality needed in the game’s last gasps.
