Cody Walker has turned back the clock in a commanding display, one that included an 11-year first to remind the NRL that even at 36, he was far from a spent force.
The South Sydney superstar looked in complete control in his side’s 40-30 triumph over the Dolphins in front of 20,114 spectators at Suncorp Stadium. But it was one moment against the tide that typified he was still evolving his game.
After the Dolphins scored back-to-back through Herbie Farnworth and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to cut the Rabbitohs lead to six in the second half, Walker punted a remarkable 40/20 – the only one of his career – from around his own 30-metre line.
The kick came after the hosts had pummelled Walker’s teammates in defence, but that ploy extinguished the fight in coach Kristian Woolf’s men.
Walker followed that up by forcing consecutive drop-outs, and that pressure eventually led to Lachlan Hubner sliding off defenders to score, before the veteran then set-up Latrell Mitchell following a horror Jamayne Isaako error to seal the victory.
While he has long be one of the game’s more creative five-eighths – coming up with three linebreak-assists and two try-assists on Sunday afternoon – Walker proved an old dog could be taught new tricks, as he seeks to cast aside an injury-riddled 2025 which limited him to just 11 games.
Latrell Mitchell’s move to centre proved a winner against the Dolphins.Credit: Getty Images
His left-edge combination with Mitchell – who scored a double in his return to the centres from fullback – will only get better if the duo can stay on the park.
Fifita’s wild debut
David Fifita was tipped to be a new man upon reuniting with supercoach Wayne Bennett, after a disastrous final year at the Gold Coast Titans left pundits pondering what his future held.
While there were some moments the former Queensland Maroons gun would have liked back – a late sin binning for his involvement in a melee with Dolphins co-captain Tom Gilbert among them – he still showcased the moments of magic which made him a $1 million man in Queensland.
A poor defensive read to open a safe passage for Dolphins’ counterpart Kulikefu Finefeuiaki to score was soon followed by a soft knock-on at the play-the-ball. But in the shadows of halftime, Fifita made his presence felt – charging onto a Walker short pass, before shrugging off defenders and finding a pass for Alex Johnston to score.
His stint in the sin bin gave him an early breather with eight-minute remaining, but the 26-year-old – who managed just eight games last year between injuries and form woes – still finished with 156 running metres, a linebreak, a try-assist, 16 tackles, and even a forced drop-out.
Farnworth-Cobbo given too few chances
The left-side combination of Farnworth and Selwyn Cobbo was tipped to give the Dolphins a lethal edge to exploit, but they only got one chance to prove it.
Some ad lib play from the Dolphins to keep the ball alive gave them two cracks in the same play – gaining ground and offloading back in field, before it was swung back to them.
Cobbo’s break and grubber ahead was scored by Farnworth to launch the second half, offering an insight into what they could achieve if the Dolphins’ midfield click into gear.
The problem was, they rarely got any chances, with most of their work restricted to coming out of their own end.
Cobbo did well to defuse several bombs under pressure in his first Dolphins appearance since arriving from the Broncos, and finished with 153 running metres in a sign his previously questioned fitness levels were on the up.
Farnworth ran for 143 metres of his own, most of them out of dummy-half near his own goal-line, and Woolf will need to conquer ways for his side to get the best out of the superstar centre combination.
Koloamatangi’s colossal display
Payne Haas will arrive at the Rabbitohs from 2027, but Keaon Koloamatangi has issued a timely reminder of what South Sydney will be missing when he departs.
The Tongan star headed into the half-time break with 220 running metres to his name from 19 carries, with a Dolphins pack still missing Daniel Saifiti (shoulder), Max Plath (knee) and Kurt Donoghoe (hamstring) were unable to contain the 27-year-old powerhouse.
It laid the foundation for the Rabbitohs to take an 18-point lead into halftime as their star backline ran rampant – Campbell Graham crossing for a double, and joined on the scoresheet by Mitchell, Jye Gray and Johnston.
The Dolphins were only able to capitalise on any territory once through Finefeuiaki, with their other try coming from a Jake Averillo intercept on his own line.
Koloamatangi’s defection to St George-Illawarra from 2027 triggered Bennett’s pursuit of Haas, who will leave the Broncos at season’s end, but the Dragons will be waiting in equally eager anticipation for their recruit to arrive.
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