For one brutal, bone-crunching moment, all of rugby league held their breath. Except for poor old Toby Rodwell. He was trying to find it.
Latrell Mitchell, undisputed king of the NRL jungle, hit the rookie Roosters halfback with the most exquisite, most monstrous assault you could ever dish out without having to front court afterwards.
And as poor old Rodwell, 84 kilos, two games into his career, lay prone wondering what had hit him, all of rugby league wondered if Mitchell had hit him high.
Had the game’s most magnetic, single most-watchable player, just hit the kid in the head and rubbed himself out of the finals?
Nope, the replays showed. Mitchell had hit him square in the chest.
Wayne Bennett put it succinctly when asked about how he felt watching said replays and realising that Mitchell’s contact was nice and legal.
“Good”, was Bennett’s summation of that emotional rollercoaster.
Thank the big man above. Especially because Rodwell was showing signs of life. He was soon on his feet too, slowly making his way to the sideline, where Spencer Leniu had the crowd in raptures as well.
Leniu had, an hour earlier, goaded and growled at Souths fans sitting behind the Roosters bench on his way from the field. He had clashed with opposite number Keaon Koloamatangi from a kick-off, and twice again shortly afterwards, with the Rabbitohs prop winning the exchange, baiting Leniu into blowing up and a penalty being blown.
As the big screen cut between shots of Mitchell and Leniu, cheers rang out for the Rabbitoh, jeers for the Rooster. Leniu lapped it up, grinning with a touch of the madness that all the good front-rowers possess.
Despite the 50-20 scoreline, the Roosters had held their gloves up. In Leniu’s case, with eyes spinning like poker machines, he did so literally. Rodwell had his moments too.
And the Rabbitohs, with Jai Arrow leaving the Prime Minister emotional, along with 39,999 others at Allianz Stadium, they put their old enemy to the sword.
Before a ball was even kicked, the Dolphins’ narrow win over the Gold Coast meant the Roosters had to win or they would be locked into fourth place. Whether they head across the ditch to face New Zealand or west to take on Penrith won’t be confirmed until the final whistle of the regular season.
Barring a 41-point loss from fifth-placed Cronulla to Melbourne, the Rabbitohs will now finish sixth and host Newcastle in week one of the finals. Moments from Mitchell – even before Latrell’s scene-stealing 77th-minute shot – and David Fifita again spelled out the impact both men can have in the post-season.
“[Mitchell] needed to get some time behind him tonight and get involved in the game,” Bennet said.
“He didn’t do a great deal last week, which is understandable.
“I took a risk, I could have played him less time. A few people were trying to tell me on the bench to get him off.
“But he was enjoying himself. He wasn’t under stress out there into that second half, and he had that bit of a swagger that he has back.
“He did some really good things. I was really pleased with the outcome.”
And when Fifita took on four defenders from dummy-half in the fifth minute, there was only going to be one winner, and the bullocking back-rower had Souths’ first try.
Tries to Bud Sullivan, Alex Johnston and Campbell Graham ensured the Rabbitohs had plenty of breathing room and a 20-4 half-time lead, before the Roosters found fortune giving the ball air.
Rex Bassingthwaighthe finished off an excellent long-range right-side shift in the 50th minute, before Butcher did the same when the Bunnies were busted up the middle a few tackles later.
But with Cody Walker pulling the strings, the veteran No.6 ensured Souths weren’t ever truly threatened. He helped himself to a try with some light stepping before Adam Elliott, Graham again, Mitchell and Brandon Smith all joined him on the scoreboard.
And Mitchell, he proved once more why he’s the biggest show in town. Just ask poor old Toby Rodwell.
