Rabbitohs 34
Bulldogs 30
KEY POINTS:
South Sydney mounted their second miraculous comeback in two weeks to pip the Bulldogs 34-30 in golden-point extra time at ANZ Stadium last night.
With the sides locked at 30-30 after scoring five tries each in 80 entertaining minutes, fullback Luke Capewell scored his second try out wide to give the Rabbitohs victory over a Bulldogs side missing 11 regular first-graders.
The try came in the 87th minute after Dogs prop Jarrad Hickey made a shocking error taking a pass from the kick-off less than 10m from his own line.
Souths had been down 24-6 after 45 minutes before mounting a similar comeback to that when they were down 28-4 against North Queensland last weekend.
Souths' points came from two tries to Capewell, one each to David Fa'alogo, Craig Wing, Chris Sandow and Fetuli Talanoa, while Sandow kicked four goals and Issac Luke one.
The Bulldogs scored tries through Arana Taumata, Brent Crisp, Andrew Ryan, Tim Winitana and Heka Nanai, while Hazem El Masri booted five goals.
The Rabbitohs have now won four straight games for the first time since 1994. This was their first over the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
The Dogs led 18-6 at halftime courtesy of their greater enthusiasm, and needed to wait only another three minutes to extend their lead to 24-6.
Capewell continued a horror night - which had also seen him contribute to two first-half Dogs tries - by coming up with an error fielding a kick 10m from his own line and gifting Winitana a four-pointer.
The Rabbitohs' Lazarus act looked on, though, when they hit back with two tries in three minutes.
Capewell went some way to making amends by completing a burst from Wing and, after Beau Champion was held up in the 51st minute, Wing sliced through for his own four-pointer in the 52nd minute for 24-18.
The momentum stayed with Souths and when Sandow showed his immense potential by stepping and diving over in the 58th minute for 24-24, it was game on.
The Rabbitohs went ahead for the first time, 26-24, in the 61st minute when Sandow kicked a penalty goal before Nanai grounded a Ben Roberts bomb in the 65th minute and the Dogs were back in front 30-26.
Talanoa was on hand to skid on to a John Sutton grubber in the 74th minute to tie the scores again at 30-30.
- AAP
