‘Crazy’ scoreathon: Bennett laments defensive collapse as Rabbitohs fall short 42-38

Key facts

• Rabbitohs lost 42-38 to the Knights after trailing 28-10 at half-time.
• Latrell Mitchell scored a try and conversion to give Souths a brief lead with 10 minutes remaining.
• Euan Aitken’s error allowed Trey Mooney to score the decisive try for Newcastle.
• Mitchell dropped the ball in goal on a final lunge for the corner post in the dying seconds.
• Cody Walker shoved Newcastle’s Phoenix Crossland after the final siren, sparking a scuffle.
• Cameron Murray called the high-scoring match ‘less enjoyable to play in’ and said momentum ‘almost seems easy’ to maintain.
• Wayne Bennett described the game as ‘crazy’ and praised his team’s bravery but lamented their inability to close out the win.

A game of two halves and no defence

The South Sydney Rabbitohs staged a remarkable second-half fightback against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon, only to fall short 42-38 in a match that coach Wayne Bennett called ‘crazy’. Trailing 28-10 at the break, the visitors scored 28 points in the second half and briefly led with 10 minutes to go, but a late error and a dropped ball in goal denied them victory. Both teams abandoned defensive structure in a high-scoring thriller that saw momentum swing wildly. ‘Both teams just forgot how to defend and it became a scoreathon,’ Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray told reporters after the match. Bennett echoed the sentiment, summing up the contest in one word: ‘Crazy.’

Mitchell’s heroics and heartbreak

Latrell Mitchell was at the centre of the drama, scoring a try and converting it to give South Sydney their first lead of the match with 10 minutes remaining. But the lead was short-lived. An error by centre Euan Aitken opened the door for Newcastle, and Trey Mooney crashed over to restore the Knights’ advantage. In the dying seconds, Mitchell made a desperate lunge for the corner post in an attempt to snatch victory, but dropped the ball in goal. As he lay on the turf in disbelief, teammate Cody Walker shoved celebrating Newcastle defenders away from Mitchell, targeting Phoenix Crossland. The incident sparked a brief push-and-shove between Mooney and Tallis Duncan before teammates separated them. The siren sounded with the score 42-38.

Murray’s damning assessment of the new rules

Cameron Murray offered a blunt critique of the six-again rule changes that have produced several high-scoring games this season. ‘There’s been some pretty high-scoring games this year, so momentum can shift pretty fast and when you have momentum, it’s hard for the other team to win it back,’ he said. ‘It’s just so important to find that momentum early because it’s hard to win it back and it almost seems easy when you’ve got it.’ Pressed on whether such games are enjoyable to play in, Murray implied they are not. ‘It’s just the game’s turned it into one of those moments where if you win good field position, if you’ve got the momentum, it makes it much easier for you to score points,’ he said, suggesting the spectacle comes at the expense of defensive integrity.

Bennett’s pride and frustration

Despite the loss, Wayne Bennett expressed pride in his team’s resilience. ‘That team’s really brave. That’s one of their pluses. They couldn’t have tried any harder at the end there,’ he said. But he lamented their inability to close out the match after fighting back from 24-0 down. ‘And gave it away a couple of times and find a way to get in front in the end and then still gave it away.’ Bennett knows his side has the formula for success but wishes they would execute it more consistently. ‘Despite the loss, Bennett knows he has a team that knows what works for them, but he just wishes they did it more often,’ the coach said, hinting at ongoing inconsistency that has plagued the Rabbitohs this season.

Knights hold on amid late chaos

Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook praised his team’s defensive resolve in the final moments, particularly the collective effort to stop Mitchell. ‘We had to come up with a try-saving tackle, which I think we had seven or eight guys in there,’ he said. ‘Which is probably how many you need to stop Latrell. Maybe you need nine.’ The Knights had led comfortably at half-time but saw their 18-point advantage evaporate as South Sydney’s attack found its rhythm. Newcastle’s ill-discipline crept in late, nearly costing them the game, but they held on to secure a vital two points.

What the result means for both sides

For the Rabbitohs, the loss is a bitter pill to swallow after such a stirring comeback. They remain in the middle of the NRL ladder, with questions about their defensive consistency and ability to close out tight games. Bennett’s side has shown they can score points from anywhere, but their inability to stop opponents from doing the same remains a concern. Newcastle, meanwhile, will take confidence from withstanding a furious rally. The win keeps them in touch with the top eight, but their own defensive lapses in the second half will need addressing. The six-again rule continues to polarise opinion, with players like Murray suggesting it makes the game less enjoyable for those on the field, even if fans are entertained.

A scoreathon that defines the season

Sunday’s 42-38 thriller was emblematic of the 2025 NRL season: high-scoring, momentum-driven, and defensively fragile. The six-again rule changes have accelerated the pace of play, rewarding teams that can string together quick shifts and punishing those that fall behind. For purists, the spectacle comes at a cost; for casual fans, it is exhilarating. Wayne Bennett, a coach with more than 50 years in the game, admitted he still cannot explain some of the patterns emerging. But one thing is clear: in this new era, no lead is safe, and the team that wins the momentum battle usually wins the game. The Rabbitohs nearly proved that, but in the end, they were left to ponder what might have been.

The bottom line

• South Sydney’s 28-point second-half fightback fell short after Latrell Mitchell dropped the ball in goal on the final play.
• Cameron Murray criticised the six-again rule changes, saying momentum ‘almost seems easy’ to maintain and makes games less enjoyable for players.
• Wayne Bennett called the match ‘crazy’ and praised his team’s bravery but lamented their inability to close out the win.
• Newcastle’s Trey Mooney scored the decisive try after an Euan Aitken error, and the Knights’ defence held with seven or eight players in the final tackle.
• Cody Walker clashed with Phoenix Crossland after the siren, highlighting the intense emotions of the contest.
• The result leaves the Rabbitohs with ongoing concerns about defensive consistency, while the Knights gain a crucial win to stay in finals contention.