Rabbitohs flex premiership muscle with big win over Broncos

A rampaging Greg Inglis has opened Close the Gap Round by guiding the South Sydney Rabbitohs to an emphatic 42-16 win over Brisbane tonight at ANZ Stadium in front of 14,904 fans.

The Bunnies started in sketchy form, a couple of errors and poor discipline allowing Brisbane to gain the ascendency in the 10th minute, late inclusion Justin Hodges the scorer. Hodges' try was all the impetus the Bunnies needed, responding in the 16th with G.I. crossing for the first of three tries.

Errors punctuated the remainder of the half from Brisbane as they kept handing the hosts opportunity after opportunity and South Sydney didn't need any more invitation - Inglis crossing for a spectacular try after 25 minutes after a superb kick from Reynolds found him charging through - he reclaimed the ball, turned it inside for Sam Burgess who then fought off defenders to find Inglis backing up.

Chris McQueen and Lote Tuqiri both crossed as the halftime break approached, executing a near perfect run of scoring for the Bunnies, for which the Broncos simply had no answers. Ben Barba did get over the line for the visitors on halftime but was denied after losing the ball.

Trailing 24-6 at the break, it would be the Broncos who troubled the scorers first in the second half, Sam Thaiday clambering over the line ten minutes in. The same errors which prevented them competing in the first half then crept back in, with the floodgates eventually opening in the final fifteen minutes of the game. In the meantime Brisbane lost Josh Hoffman to a lower leg injury around 24 minutes from fulltime.

Inglis bagged his hat-trick try in the 64th before backing up to provide a ball off a bomb for Luke Keary to score just minutes later. The Bunnies conceded a late consolation try to Brisbane centre Jack Reed, before Kirisome Auva'a scored off an Issac Luke line break on the final siren to push his side into the 40's. Fulltime came after a Ben Lowe conversion attempt giving the Rabbitohs the final margin of 42-16.

Next weekend the Rabbitohs play at home for the fourth straight week (albeit only the second consecutive ANZ Stadium game) against the Cowboys on Saturday night. On the same evening the Broncos will host the lowly Knights where they'll be aiming to save their finals chances which were dealt a damaging blow tonight.

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (42)
Tries: Greg Inglis (3), Chris McQueen, Lote Tuqiri, Luke Keary, Kirisome Auva'a
Conversions: Adam Reynolds (6/6), Ben Lowe (1/1)

BRISBANE BRONCOS (16)
Tries: Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday, Jack Reed
Conversions: Corey Parker (2/3)

TEAM NEWS | The Rabbitohs lose Kyle Turner and Bryson Goodwin from their 19 man side. Chris McQueen replaces Turner in the starting side. Luke and Tom Burgess swap with the former to start, the latter on the bench. For Brisbane, Justin Hodges returns with Jack Reed benched, and Jarrod Wallace & Jake Granville dropping out.

Welcome to Close the Gap Round - supporting and promoting Indigenous Equality in our nation. We acknowledge that this match is being held on the traditional lands of The Wangal people, and pay our respect to elders both past and present.

The Broncos are out onto ANZ Stadium which welcomes back Spidercam for the first time since the early rounds. They'll wear their mostly yellow "gradient" jersey.

After a bit of a wait the Rabbitohs come out now, wearing a black jersey with an Indigenous design on the body. Here we go...

We are UNDERWAY. Rabbitohs first possession.

2: South Sydney with the better of the opening exchanges, working their way into Brisbane territory on their second set. Last tackle - Reynolds puts it high, taken easily by Vidot for the visitors.

5: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Issac Luke makes an unforced error.
Luke loses the ball on halfway. Broncos scrum.

9: Brisbane force a line drop-out with Alex Johnston made to tap it dead by a rampaging Lachlan Maranta. Souths under the pump here.

10: VIDEO REFEREE | Brisbane are claiming a try through Justin Hodges. Hunt's grubbered through and Hodges has weaved through... we're checking grounding.

10: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Justin Hodges. Kick to come.
It went up as a TRY and it's come down as a try from the man upstairs. Hodges opens the scoring.

11: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker successful.
Parker converts the Hodges try.

14: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Issac Luke makes an unforced error.
Luke with another error, this one is a forward pass. Sloppy. Broncos scrum again around halfway.

15: Souths get a penalty. This will be their first full shot inside Brisbane's danger zone.

16: VIDEO REFEREE possible Rabbitohs TRY to big Greg Inglis.

16: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Greg Inglis. Kick to come.
G.I. storms over the line and does indeed get the ball down, grounding deemed good by the officials upstairs.

17: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Perfect conversion attempt from Adam Reynolds equalises.

19: Big burst right up the middle by Sam Burgess, he finds Johnston on the outside, who's dragged down 10m short. Next play it's a Souths penalty due to offside players in the Broncos' defensive line.

22: Broncos with it after a loose Tom Burgess pass finds Sam Thaiday. Brisbane on the attack...

24: UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS
Justin Hodges makes an unforced error.
Hodges error - Maranta capitalises attempting to score but it's rightly called back. Souths handover.

25: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Greg Inglis. Kick to come.
WOWEE. Kick infield by Reynolds fielded by Inglis, he finds Sam Burgess who then waits and waits and finds... INGLIS! He's over for a double, what a try!

26: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Reynolds ices a spectacular cake. What a try that was!

30: Rabbitohs with another penalty, this time on their 40m. They advance it to 35m short of the Broncos line with the touchfinder. A try here could mean a blow-out...

31: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Chris McQueen. Kick to come.
Brisbane knock it down, Walker picks up the scraps and finds McQueen inside him who dives low to score.

32: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Easy two points.

33: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Lote Tuqiri. Kick to come.
Oh dear. Vidot's butchered a high ball and given it straight to Tuqiri. Big Lote dots down.

35: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Four from four. It's already shaping up as the Rabbitohs' night.

36: It's all going red and green at the moment - Brisbane spill another last-tackle kick, Souths will start a set from inside the Broncos' 10m.

38: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Luke Keary makes an unforced error.
And the Broncos turn the tide. Keary spills it, the visitors will get a scrum and work it away from their line.

39: Brisbane with a penalty - Souths knocking a player out off the ball. 10m out for the Broncos on the attack.

39: VIDEO REFEREE possible NO TRY to the Broncos' Ben Barba. Checking grounding.

40: It's NO TRY and a few players later we have HALFTIME at ANZ. The Bunnies have dominated and it's gonna take something pretty special for Brisbane to resurrect their chances.

41: We are back on at ANZ. Bunnies up by 18 and Brisbane will have it first.

42: Souths with an early second half penalty.

44: Chris McQueen is ON REPORT for an alleged crusher tackle on Josh McGuire.

45: Souths coming out of their own end, Hodges gets Auva'a high, it's a penalty to the hosts.

47: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Thomas Burgess makes an unforced error.
Big Tom drops it. Broncos with it just inside Souths' territory.

50: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Sam Thaiday. Kick to come.
Thaiday barges over and the Broncos have drawn first blood in the second half!

51: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker successful.
Parker adds the extras and reduces the trailing margin to twelve.

55: Ben Te'o is ON REPORT for the Bunnies after a chicken wing on Sam Thaiday.

56: Time is off with Josh Hoffman INJURED. He'll be carried off in the arms of the Broncos' trainers, can barely touch the ground with his feet.

59: Brisbane dominating proceedings in this second half so far.

60: UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS
Daniel Vidot makes an unforced error.
Geez Vidot has some errors in him, the pass finds him on the flank and he's got it, swan dives for the line and LOSES IT! Souths 20m restart!

63: Upstairs for a possible Inglis TRY. Checking grounding.

64: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Greg Inglis. Kick to come.
A hat-trick for GI off a great kick. That should seal the game for the hosts, who'll move into first place on this win.

65: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Easy conversion from in front for Reynolds.

71: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Luke Keary. Kick to come.
Ball goes up, ball comes down, Inglis takes it and hands it off to Keary to score beside the posts.

72: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Reynolds adds the extras.

75: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Jack Reed. Kick to come.
Late points for Brisbane, quick hands to the left and Jack Reed exploits the edge defenders to grab a consolation try.

75: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker unsuccessful.
The ninth conversion attempt of the match becomes the first to be missed after Corey Parker can't convert from the sideline.

80: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Kirisome Auva'a. Kick to come.
Issac Luke splits them down the left and Auva'a is there in support to finish the move. A kick to come then the tape will roll over to start the "Glory Glory" refrain!

80: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Ben Lowe successful.
With Auva'a having straightened up the Rabbitohs' bench forward converts and pushes the winning margin to 26 points