At the end of June 2015 Souths are again wobbling around the final eight, with glimpses of potential overshadowed by lacklustre football and intermittent form.
In the past few weeks Souths have racked up some fairly unconvincing wins against lower rankers Parramatta (14-12) and Gold Coast (26-20). After a clear, but misleading, win against a woeful Warriors team Souths were brought down to earth against the lowly ranked Tigers. The lack of grit in the Tigers game worried Souths fans considerably. It had been a long time since a Souths forward pack had been so clearly dominated and the last 10 minutes had shown an uncharacteristic lack of resolve, with Tigers rolling Souths 36-4. Walking talking onomatopoeia, the Tigers’ Martin Tapau “Kapow”!!, bestowed boy wonder Alex Johnston with an indelible palm print on his chest.
The win against Manly in the last week in June was a lot more like the old South Sydney. Although a couple of very nicely rehearsed moves ended up with tries, it was the defence that stood out. A spate of penalties saw Manly with the weight of possession but unable to break a resolute Souths defensive line.
In spite of their indifferent season, Coach Maguire has once again shown his capacity to carefully blood and develop new talent.
Aaron Gray has found his way to the try line from his first game and has been already lauded, by insightful commentator Peter Sterling, for his “maturity” beyond his years. For Souths fans Gray’s emergence is extra special – delighting in the fact that this former Easts ball-boy has been lured willingly from the dark side into the light.
Chris “Great Skills” Grevsmuhl has continued to shine also. He stood out, showing good speed and timing, running through gaps for key breaks and important tries. And Tigers recruit Nathan Brown has shown the potential to enthuse the team with his bruising defence and attack.
So as the season enters the last third, Souths, despite their undistinguished form, are as well poised as in 2014. This emerging talent and the return of key players Reynolds, Luke and Stewart might just spark the season and propel them towards the finals and a chance at back-to-back glory.
