Rabbitohs 28 Cowboys 24

ONCE the losses began to pile up, South Sydney coach Jason Taylor reacted to each new defeat by saying he and his players would come out the other side.

That promise would have sounded hollow had the Rabbitohs lost a few more in a row, but now it is clear what Taylor was talking about.

The pictures beamed from the Souths dressing room when the team finally returned victorious, after an 0-7 start to the season, said a lot about character, determination and, most of all, unity.

The remaining members of the squad stood in line in their suits to hug and shake hands with the players who had just done battle. Not long afterwards, Taylor explained what it all meant.

"I said a few weeks ago we were in a great position, because we would get the chance to show what we were made of, as individuals and as a team," he said.

"When they came back into the sheds, it showed what we were made of as a club. Some have made errors and fallen by the wayside, while others have gone forward.

"It's been a great test for us, but it's not over."

It can't be over when the team's record is still only 1-7, but the win reminds the players they can achieve at this level. The timing is good, too, since the Rabbitohs have the bye next weekend.

Every team hates entering that two-week, game-free period on the back of a loss. Imagine how it would feel going in at 0-8?

There will be football for the four players who were dropped for breaking an alcohol ban after the round-seven loss to Brisbane. Taylor said they would play in the NSW Cup competition next weekend and that form would decide first-grade selections. But the players who were in yesterday's team have obviously got their noses in front at this stage.

Taylor said although some critics ridiculed the axing of the players, he had felt during the lead-up to yesterday's game that things were going to turn around.

"Regardless of what it looked like from the outside, everyone was really solid, and the players understood what we were trying to do and what we were about," he said.

"The players weren't shocked by what we did. They understood we were in a position where we needed to make tough calls."

Taylor described the post-win feeling as, more than anything, one of relief. One of the architects of the win, lock John Sutton, who was backing up from playing for City against Country on Friday night, described it as "a weight off the shoulders".

But there is no point in the Rabbitohs getting carried away - not when it would take another six wins without a loss just to balance the ledger. Better to just go week to week.

"Not at this stage," Sutton said when asked whether he would dare think about a revival that would take Souths all the way to the finals. "It would be a big mistake, thinking that far ahead. I'm just thinking about having a good bye week."

The early indications in yesterday's game were not good for the Rabbitohs. North Queensland centre Ashley Graham cracked a tackle to score a try in the fifth minute and halfback Johnathan Thurston converted, for a 6-0 lead. But Souths levelled it up and then fell 12-6 behind before drawing even again. Were the Rabbitohs just toying with us? Were they going to hang in there for a bit, but still fold after all?

When they scored the next try, to go to an 18-12 lead, people began to sit up and take notice. When it became 24-12, they knew it was for real.

After the Rabbitohs went to a 28-18 lead with 11 minutes to go, Souths co-owner Russell Crowe, at the front and centre of his private box, went off a bit early with some fist pumps that were caught on the big screen.

The Cowboys scored with eight minutes left.

But the Academy Award-winning actor was saved any embarrassment. The Rabbitohs hung on, so there was no need for a take two from him.