Brisbane 32 Souths 18
DARREN LOCKYER needed only 80 minutes of solid football to claim his place in the Test side. As he generally does, Lockyer did what he needed to do.
Unless he breaks down between now and Sunday afternoon, Lockyer will be named in the Australian side to face New Zealand in the Centenary Test.
However, it was still a costly night for the Broncos, with centre Steve Michaels suffering suspected anterior cruciate ligament damage early, and Sam Thaiday leaving the field sick and sorry. Michaels is likely to require a knee reconstruction.
But Lockyer, who knows all about that, emerged unscathed, and that will leave Brisbane, as well as Australian selectors, breathing hefty sighs of relief.
"He'll be the Test five-eighth and the Australian captain … subject to him pulling up well in the next 48 hours," said Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.
Lockyer said: "I was happy with it. It was great to be out there to play 80 minutes. Originally I don't think that was the plan, but we just ran out of troops."
It was Lockyer's first match back since taking a fortnight off to rest his knee, and the likes of Peter Wallace and particularly Michael Ennis picked up the slack.
"He's the best player we've got at the moment," Australian selector Les Geeves had said before kick-off. "Without talking to him, I know he wouldn't be playing tonight if he wasn't right. If he stays on the field, and we get a report [today] from the club doctor saying he's OK, I'll be very happy for Queensland and Australia."
That's not to say it was all good news for Geeves and co. Centre Justin Hodges picked up an injury late in the first half, and while he played on, he was clearly troubled by it. He was replaced 16 minutes into the second half with the game seemingly in the bag at 26-6, although Bennett called on him quickly as the Rabbitohs hit back late, suggesting the damage was not too severe.
The night had started horribly for Brisbane, as well as everyone else who witnessed Michaels's injury. After playing every minute of every game last season, Michaels lasted just five after his right leg was wrapped awfully around Nigel Vagana.
Michaels was taken off the field on a Medicab after suffering a knee injury, with play held up for several minutes with the crowd thankfully spared too many replays of the horror reel.
But somehow, the Broncos found a positive out of the negative. With Justin Hodges suffering the affects of the flu, coach Wayne Bennett chose to send Joel Moon on as Michaels's replacement, and he proceeded to pull their pants down, like any Moon would. With his first touch, he sent winger Denan Kemp over, and then after 22 minutes, he scored himself as the Broncos surged ahead 10-0. The Rabbitohs had shown improvement, though, even during those crucial early stages, and it was no surprise when second-rower David Fa'alogo made the possession and pressure count with a 29th minute try, busting through the arms of Sam Thaiday and Greg Eastwood like a truck would bust through a boom gate.
The Rabbitohs' problem has been consistency, and it was also no surprise that the old Souths soon reappeared.
First replacement hooker Issac Luke, returning from a broken hand, kicked out on the full, and the error was followed by Ben Rogers batting the ball dead when he had a clean catch. On the following set, Hodges found enough effort out of those lethargic legs to power over five minutes from the break.
Ennis's own stray boot, which had only managed one goal from four attempts in the first half, was the only reason the game was not over at half-time.
The difference between the two sides was clear three minutes after the break, when Fetuli Talanoa fingered a Nathan Merritt ball after the winger had found himself in the clear. A try should have been the result, but Thaiday's charge to run down Merritt and force a rushed ball cut off the play.
Minutes later, Thaiday charged with ball in hand, and Kemp finished off the play to score his second. By then, the game was well and truly over, and Thaiday night was a great night for Brisbane, although certainly not the hapless, winless, occasionally clueless Rabbitohs.
"We just killed ourselves in the second half with stupid errors," said Souths coach Jason Taylor.
"We just got to face the brutal facts, and the brutal facts are we aren't good enough to win games."
After the game, Roy Asotasi and David Kidwell gave their teammates another brutal truth. "Me and Kiddie just addressed the boys, and we told them we're playing like schoolkids. Actually, I think schoolkids are playing better than us."
BRISBANE 32 (D Kemp 2 J Moon 2 M Ennis J Hodges tries M Ennis 4 goals) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 18 (N Merritt 2 D Fa'alogo tries I Luke 2 G Ndaira goals) at Suncorp Stadium. Referee: J Robinson. Crowd: 34,112.
