Seeing the future stars on display is of the highlights of the pre-season trial period, and the injection of youth from the Rabbitohs’ first Preseason Challenge match against Manly proved that there’s quite a lot to look forward to from the South Sydney pathways system.
From kick-off until fulltime, a number of up and comers did the Cardinal and Myrtle jersey proud as they did plenty to impress Head Coach Jason Demetriou for their chance at first-grade with the NRL season right around the corner.
A stand-out performance from five-eighth Dion Teaupa caught the eye of man with his clever kicking game and control, which saw him lay on the first try of the match before scoring two of his own, all within the first 20 minutes.
Hard-hitting forward Tallis Duncan made his presence known on both ends of the ball, racking up a team-best 127 metres from 15 runs, while completing 23 tackles in a wholehearted, 80-minute effort.
Centre Josiah Karapani topped 100 running metres and looked dangerous with each touch of the ball, while halfback Jarrett Subloo kept the side in the match right at the death with a scintillating try, one that Cody Walker would no doubt be proud of.
And you can’t forget the contributions from bench duo Ben Lovett and Louis Grossemy, who added plenty of impact in their stints, while there was a lot to like from the likes of Terrell Kalo Kalo and Tom Carr.
While next week’s Charity Shield match will most likely feature a majority of players from the NRL squad, the host of young talent will be on show throughout 2023 in the Club’s pathways sides, from NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg, SG Ball through to the Harold Matthews.
It’s clear to see the future of South Sydney is a bright one. So much so, that you might need to wear shades.
