David Skipwith: Rabbitohs' story climaxes in classy finish

Alex Johnston of the Rabbitohs celebrates scoring a try during the 2014 NRL Grand Final match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

South Sydney's grand final win was fully deserved and the emphatic nature of their barnstorming finish highlighted the manner in which they have dominated the NRL in 2014.

After falling one game short of the decider in the two previous seasons, the Rabbitohs' Hollywood-style story threatened to remain in development before Sunday's victory provided the fairytale finish.

Despite a week of build-up and hype, fears remained that the Rabbitohs were walking into a Des Hasler-inspired Bulldogs ambush. Such concerns seem laughable now in the wake of their destructive second-half performance that saw them blow out a 6-0 halftime score with four tries.

Statistics show the Rabbitohs were the most dominant second-half team in the NRL, in particular the final quarter. Defensively they were just as clinical, conceding a competition-low 109 points in the same final 20-minute period.

Canterbury did their best to keep the contest a dogfight and after levelling the scores with Tony Williams' 49th-minute try, were hoping that cracks would eventually appear in Souths' confident exterior. Instead, the Rabbitohs powered home in dynamic fashion, with George Burgess' try and Adam Reynolds' penalty soon after giving them a 14-6 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Kirisome Auva'a's try broke the Bulldogs' spirit and then, as they have done all year, the Rabbitohs added the polish with tries to halfback Adam Reynolds and inspirational skipper Greg Inglis.

Despite the gulf in class and scoreline, the Bulldogs were brave in defeat but without injured captain Michael Ennis found Sunday's finale a bridge too far.

On a negative note, the tidal wave of goodwill which broke on fulltime also seems to have engulfed the NRL's match review committee, who decided no players had cases to answer, despite several unsavoury incidents deserving close inspection.

Bulldogs co-captain James Graham's head played a leading role in two devastating tackles, while Tom Burgess, Adam Reynolds, and his Bulldogs namesake, Josh, should buy lottery tickets such is their good fortune.

A portion of any winnings could then be forwarded on to Issac Luke, who missed his side's historic victory and will sit out the Kiwis' opening Four Nations test against Australia, due to carryover points and being found guilty on a grade one dangerous throw charge.

Nonetheless, it was a tense and brutal affair befitting a grand final, and as far as fairytales go might even top Newcastle's 1997 premiership win, or this writer's favourite, Royce Simmons' farewell victory in Penrith's maiden title success of 1991.