Year in Review - Part V of XVI

We’re getting awfully close to the teams that almost made it now. The Bunnies have followed a slightly unorthodox path this year - starting well, fading badly, coming back strongly, bombing out at last, then coming back again even though it is too late. A metaphor for life, perhaps?

South Sydney Rabbitohs or No Wing, No Prayer

Highlight: I was going to say their absolute pummeling of Manly at Brookvale a couple of weeks back, but that was until they played TAFKAPF (the athletes formerly known as premiership favourites) on Saturday night. Some say the story is more about the Dragons than the Bunnies, but I don’t buy that for a second. Beating the top team 41-6 says this team has heart.

Lowlight: For a team that has heart, the Rabbitohs lack a lot of other important internal-organ related qualities, including brains, intestinal fortitude and a ventable spleen. Their captain has to be the first in the history of rugby league to talk neither to his players, nor the ref, nor the media. We love you Roy.

Most Valuable Player: Roy Asotasi, who said he hoped to help turn the Rabbitohs around by joining them. They’ve been turned around more times than a blindfolded kid at a party and have similar odds of success. Yes, they’re back in the league. Yes, they’re nowhere near the bottom. Yes, they’re almost able to remove the 14 day cooling off period clause from all new player signings. But they’re still a long, long way from being a legit contender. If they had a team full of Roy Asotasis, the story would be very different. It would also involve flagrant breaches of human cloning regulations, plus they wouldn’t have been able to field anyone for their last three games. I would so read that story.

Most Worthless Player: League’s sexiest man, Craig Wing. It’s kind of bad when your marquee signing can’t crack the starting 13 even when he’s healthy. Worst homecoming since Carrie.

Telling Statistic: Four wins from eleven home games. For the team with the most goodwill in the NRL (and possible the history of sporting teams), that is one lame home ground advantage. Play the crowd a few clips from Gladiator, that’d fire them up.

Quote that sums up their year: “We are treating it as a grand final.” Colin Best before they got smashed by Penrith last week, giving some insight into how Souths will do if they ever make a grand final.

2010 Outlook: Russell Crowe has made it absolutely clear, Jason Taylor is going nowhere. I don’t know why this keeps getting reported as Russell being in support of JT, I actually think it was a Nostradamus-like forecast. Eighth place at best.