Rabbitohs 34
Tigers 30
Newcomer Dylan Farrell scored an astonishing debut hat-trick as the Rabbitohs pulled off a stirring comeback to beat the Tigers in the last seconds of extra time.
Farrell's sensational last try was a dramatic finale to a topsy-turvy match played in front of a crowd of 23,000 at ANZ Stadium. The Tigers seemed safe when leading 28-12 10 minutes into the second half.
Centre Blake Ayshford raced through a gap to score an early try for the Tigers and hooker Robbie Farah found a gap from dummy half to score the second. The Rabbitohs, meanwhile, scored their first try when Farrell, a teenager on debut, beat two tackles as he found space down the short side.
But the Rabbitohs' goal-line defence was again lacking just before the break when wing Lote Tuqiri scored a simple try from dummy half. The Tigers were clearly the more organised and urgent team early on.
Fetuli Tanaloa scored for Souths straight after the resumption after Beau Ryan knocked the ball back over his own goal-line but the Tigers quickly restored the advantage when Chris Lawrence broke through some flimsy defence.
The tries continued to come. Keith Galloway scored his first for the Tigers since round four last year and Farrell his second of the night after a Sandow chip.
Lawrence was poleaxed by a high tackle by Nathan Merritt, who was placed on report, and Marshall's penalty took the Tigers out to 30-18.
A defensive blunder by Tuqiri enabled fullback Rhys Wesser to score the Rabbitohs' fourth try and cut the deficit to six. Three minutes from the end, John Sutton scored the fifth Souths try and Sandow's conversion from wide out tied the scores at 30-30, sending the game to extra time.
Rabbitohs 34 (D. Farrell 3, F. Tanaloa, R. Wesser, J. Sutton tries, C. Sandow 5 goals), Tigers 30 (B. Ayshford, R. Farah, L. Tuqiri, C. Lawrence, K. Galloway tries, B. Marshall 5 goals). HT: Tigers 16-6.
