Rabbitohs 26 Raiders 24
CANBERRA - A resurgent South Sydney have bounced back from an 18-point halftime deficit to down the Raiders at Canberra Stadium yesterday.
The Rabbitohs laid on four unanswered second-half tries after looking down and out after a mistake-riddled opening 40 minutes which saw them trail 24-6.
Canberra - who had won the last four clashes between the clubs - came out firing, but the Rabbitohs weathered the storm to see five-eighth John Sutton put the first points on the board.
Side-stepping Raiders Adam Mogg and Josh Dugan, Sutton notched up his first try of 2010 in the eighth minute, waltzing over the line almost untouched in front of the crowd of 13,145.
But the Green Machine answered back 12 minutes later, with centre Jarrod Croker helping to level the scores after a mistake from Souths hooker Issac Luke.
Josh Dugan's converted try soon made it 12-6, the young star-in-the-making capitalising on a well-placed pass from teammate Brett Kelly to score a seemingly impossible try in the 26th minute.
It was a super-human effort from the promising fullback, as he defied gravity and opposite number Rhys Wesser to ground the ball while every other part of his body was suspended mid-air over the sideline.
Six minutes later, centre Joel Thompson was at it again for the Raiders, probing Souths flimsy defence to continue the team's scoring barrage and go 18-6 ahead by the 33rd minute.
A deflated Bunnies outfit couldn't manage to avert the avalanche before halftime, allowing another soft try as Trevor Thurling managed to reach his arm out to plant the ball down over the tryline when he seemed certain to be held up.
But Canberra again lost their mojo in the second 40 minutes, allowing the home side three tries - to winger Nathan Merritt, Luke and second-rower Dave Taylor - in 11 minutes, closing the deficit to 24-22 come the 61st minute.
An unstoppable Wesser then edged the visitors ahead by two points in the 68th minute.
Three weeks ago the Raiders had similarly capitulated at home in the second half, letting slip a handy 12-point lead against Wests Tigers for a 35-22 loss.
- AAP
