Would this year's Rabbitohs beat the club's last minor premiers?
With the South Sydney Rabbitohs looking like good things for the 2013 National Rugby League minor premiership, we thought it would be fun to ask the question: would this yearâs team beat the clubâs last minor premiers, the outfit which graced Sydneyâs fields back in 1989?
The 2013 boys have a bye this week, then thereâs eight more games ahead of them in which to keep the rampaging Sydney Roosters (26 points) and defending premiers the Melbourne Storm (25) at bay to secure the JJ Giltinan Shield (which used to be the actual premiership trophy once upon a time).
The 1989 Rabbitohs won 18 games, lost just three and drew one, finishing with 37 competition points from 22 matches. They scored 390 points and had 207 scored against them for a differential of +183. This yearâs squad is well and truly keeping up with the â89 side, boasting a points âdiffâ of +194.
Would the likes of Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds, Sam Burgess and Nathan Merritt be able to handle blasts from the past Bronko Djura, Phil Blake, Craig Coleman, Jim Serdaris and Graham Lyons? As well, would current coach Michael McGuire be able to outsmart the most Rabbitoh of all Rabbitoh coaches, George Piggins, who guided the â89 Bunnies around?
One thing all Rabbitohs fans are hoping for in 2013 is that their side does not mimic the clubâs semi-finals performance of â89 â the Bunnies were knocked out in straight sets by Balmain (20-10) and ultimately by eventual premiers that year, the Canberra Raiders, 32-16 at the Sydney Football Stadium.
To be fair to the current squad, that â89 outfit didnât have to contend with the likes of todayâs star-studded Storm, or a bloke called Sonny Bill, but there were football gods the likes of Wally Lewis and Peter Sterling roaming the Earth, so weâll call it even âŚ
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