League: Rabbitohs emerge as genuine contenders with win

Nathan Merritt makes a break for the Bunnies. Photo / Getty Images

The South Sydney Rabbitohs look headed for the NRL finals for the first time since 2007 with another impressive performance in Sydney last night.

The Rabbitohs had little trouble in accounting for the struggling Parramatta Eels but more importantly they showed they could grind out a win in wet conditions based around solid defence and smart use of the ball.

An up-tempo style of play has been a hallmark of the Rabbitohs this season as they have made full use of the attacking skills of representative stars Greg Inglis and Dave Taylor but wet conditions called for a less expansive style against the Eels.

Despite missing frontline forwards Sam Burgess, Roy Asotasi and Eddy Pettybourne, the Rabbitohs forwards produced a dominant and disciplined display to keep their side well entrenched in the top eight.

Queensland and Rabbitohs star Inglis was hoping to put forward his case to be the Queensland fullback in the deciding State of Origin match after incumbent Billy Slater was ruled out injured. But Inglis, who has played centre at rep level, hyper-extended his left arm early in the game however and looked in a lot of discomfort. Maroons coach Mal Meninga has plenty of other fullback options at his disposal - Darius Boyd, Ben Barba and Matthew Bowen to name a few - but any injury to the all-time leading Origin try-scorer would be a massive blow to his side's chances of winning their seventh straight series title. He battled on for the remainder of the game but was certainly affected by the knock.

Former Rabbitohs playmaker Chris Sandow faced his former side after agreeing to a big contract with the Eels in the off-season. It proved to be an unhappy occasion for the livewire halfback.

Adam Reynolds was given first crack at Sandow's old number seven jersey at the beginning of the season and he hasn't looked back since. The impressive youngster laid on the first try of the game for winger Nathan Merritt with a neatly-timed kick and he continues to prove the decision not to match the Eels' offer for Sandow was the right one for the Rabbitohs.

They gave more proof to that theory midway through the first half when a half-fit Inglis exposed the paper-thin defence of Sandow to send other winger Justin Hunt over out wide.

The Rabbitohs were able to pick on the struggling Sandow a third time straight after the break when he rushed up out of the line and centre Dylan Farrell coasted through the gap.

Reynolds then chased Sandow down and bundled him into touch after he looked set for a length-of-the-field intercept try that could have got the Eels back into the contest with 10 minutes remaining.

With Burgess, Pettybourne, Asotasi and former rep centre Matt King due to return from injury in the coming weeks, the Rabbitohs look title contenders.

Eels 6 (R. Maitua try; L Burt goal), Rabbitohs 24 (N. Merritt, J. Hunt, D. Farrell, M. Crocker tries; A Reynolds 4 goals). Halftime: Rabbitohs 12-0.