South Sydney

Benji Marshall gets NRL lifeline

Marshall, who turns 36 next month, has played 324 NRL games and will become just the tenth player of the NRL era to play past his 36th birthday.

He'll be the oldest player in the competition should Cameron Smith not play on.

Marshall's career appeared to be over after he was released by Wests Tigers last year but he's been thrown a lifeline by Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett for a second time after Bennett revitalised Marshall's career at Brisbane on a cut-price deal in 2017.

Souths season continues

The Eels led 18-8 at half time much to the delight of the home crowd before Damien Cook fired up the Rabbitohs with a hand in three tries as they rattled up 30 points in 40 minutes after the break.

Parramatta's week started with first Maika Sivo being lost to injury, then Blake Ferguson being scratched as well, before Michael Jennings was suspended yesterday for failing a drugs test.

A showdown with minor premiers Penrith next Saturday night is their reward, Wayne Bennett once more delivering them to within 80 minutes of another grand final.

Storm into final four

In a dramatic start to this year's final series, the Rabbitohs appeared to have clinched a preliminary final when Cameron Murray controversially stormed over with nine minutes to go.

But Munster set up a line break for Billy Slater and then stepped up to nail a 31-metre field goal to send a raucous crowd of 17,306 at AAMI Park into raptures.

The Rabbitohs now wait on the winner of Sunday's elimination final between Brisbane and St George Illawarra to keep their season alive next week.

Culture key to Warriors success

On March 10th 1995 a New Zealand rugby league legacy was born. The Warriors make history running through a lit Mount Smart Stadium tunnel for the very first time.

Among those who ran out on that historic day was a 23-year-old Stephen Kearney.

Now 23 years on, the team he now coaches will begin their season on the exact same date in Perth with an objective to get the club back to winning ways.

"Certainly the hard work that the boys have put in during the preseason is about putting it all together for round one." says Stephen Kearney.

Reynolds facing a month out

Reynolds came from the field 16 minutes from full-time nursing his right arm with Blues coach Laurie Daley expecting that his No.7 would be unavailable to play in Game Three of the 2016 Holden State of Origin Series on July 13 back in Sydney.

Reynolds will have scans on his shoulder when he returns to Sydney on Thursday but if the Blues' early diagnosis proves to be accurate the earliest he would be able to return would be in Round 19 against the Broncos by which time the Rabbitohs' semi-final hopes could already have evaporated.

Rabbitohs players confirm departure of Keary

The 2014 premiership-winning five-eighth has been linked with a move to either the Roosters or Dragons after four seasons at Redfern. 

Keary said as recently as last Tuesday that his future would be decided in the coming weeks, and it appears certain that the next chapter of his rugby league career won't be with the Rabbitohs.  

Speaking at Redfern Oval ahead of their crucial clash against the Panthers on Friday night, Rabbitohs players expressed their sadness in seeing their teammate leave the club. 

Carter facing one match ban

Carter was charged from an incident in the 47th minute involving Eels half Corey Norman.

Embarrassed Burgess calls for calm

In his first game of rugby league since the 2014 Grand Final Burgess was the focal point – whether he liked it or not – in a pre-season trial that saw the Rabbitohs hold off a gallant Titans team 22-20 in Burleigh on Saturday night.

He played 60 minutes, scored a try, hit hard and passed more before the line than perhaps ever before in his career in the 13-man game and most importantly got through with burning lungs as his only injury concern.