NRL - South Sydney Rabbitohs 2017 Season Review

South Sydney Rabbitohs 2017 Season Review
 
Season Finish - 12th (9 Wins, 15 Losses, 464 Points Scored, 564 Points Against) 
 
Season Ranking 5/10 - It was another year of disappointment for Rabbitohs’ fans with the side languishing in 12th spot for the second year running. They never really recovered from being hammered by the Tigers in Round 1 and losing Greg Inglis to a season ending injury in the same game. The team’s defence was really poor for large periods of the season, conceding just over 23 points per game on average. There were some bright spots, with some young players emerging and a decent end to the season; however it’s been a bad fall for a Club that made four straight final’s appearances between 2012 and 2015, and won the Competition in 2015. 
 
Coach Rating 5/10 (Michael Maguire) - I actually thought Maguire was showing signs he was starting to regenerate Souths’ roster when he was sacked just a few days after the regular season ended. Whilst Maguire’s time at Souths can only be looked upon as a marvellous success, overall the Club did appear stale and jaded for large parts of the past two seasons. Maguire is a known task master, and some of his senior guys’ form looked to have really dipped and players looked burnt out. I still think his sacking was harsh; however both he and Souths might prosper from a chance of scenery. 
 
Best Win - (Round 17 - South Sydney Rabbitohs 42 Penrith Panthers 14 @ ANZ Stadium) - This was a rare rout for the Bunnies as they came from 8-0 down to overwhelm Penrith. Alex Johnston was dynamic, scoring 4 tries, and the Rabbitohs threw the football around and scored some scintillating tries. It wasn’t often Souths really looked to be enjoying their football this year, but here they ran riot to briefly give fans hope of a late season revival. 
 
Worst Loss - (Round 9 - South Sydney Rabbitohs 8 Manly Sea Eagles 46 @ Allianz Stadium) - It would be easy to pick out the Bunnies 64-6 horror show against the Storm as their worst loss of the season, but by that point they were battered and broken. Back in Round 9 they had everything to play for against the Sea Eagles, but put in a truly listless display, being thumped 46-8 in a game in which they showed little intensity or competitiveness. Given a rare chance in front of their true home fans at Allianz, they never fired a shot in this game against a mid-table side in the Sea Eagles at the time.
 
Best Player - Sam Burgess - I can’t go past the big Englishman, even if there has been some criticism since his big money move back to Souths after a failed stint in English Rugby. The argument could be made that Burgess has unbalanced the Salary Cap at Souths, but he continues to play outstandingly well most weeks in a beaten pack, with not many other senior players stepping up. Special mention to Angus Crichton who I thought had an outstanding season in the back row and is a player of representative potential.
 
Most Disappointing Player - Adam Reynolds - There is a host of candidates here, however I really think Adam Reynolds was way too passive in games this season. Whilst his running game has never been his strongest asset, even his general kicking game left a lot to be desired this season. Alongside the likes of George Burgess, John Sutton and Robbie Farah, the Rabbitohs had a number of senior players that I thought had average seasons. 
 
2018 Prospects (Could Climb) - My early gut feeling is I think Souths could improve on their 12th placed finish this season. With Inglis back, and having signed Dane Gagai, they have the makings of a good back line given the form of Alex Johnston last season. With Cameron Murray and Angus Crichton making their mark in the forwards, Souths won’t lack talent in their side; however, whether a rookie coach can bring it all together and get the best out of some of the team’s veterans poses a legitimate question.