South Sydney beat Wests Tigers 32-18 at Scully Park

South Sydney's celebrated, Taree-born No. 1 had just produced a strong performance in his return match from injury, a 32-18 win over beleaguered Wests Tigers on Friday night, July 28, and he expressed what playing an NRL game at the lauded country ground meant to him.

For many of the 10,453 people in attendance for Wests Tigers' annual home game in Tamworth, the feeling was mutual.

And they would also have been thankful. Because a contest that, at one time, was lurching towards a comfortable Rabbitohs win, became a surprisingly tense and exciting affair after Wests Tigers tapped a self-belief vein in the second half.

Down 20-6 at the break, Wests Tigers crossed twice in the opening 17 minutes of the second half to trail 20-18, before Souths responded with two unanswered tries of their own.

Post-match, Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou said the Tamworth experience was awesome. As soon as the side arrived in town, he said, they got "a feeling that country footy's here, and the players got a good lift from that".

"The country boys, Latrell and Cody [Walker], were pretty excited when they got here," he said. "Then you get to the ground, and it's just energy - the energy in the crowd, the energy around the place, is just first class."

"Yeah, we love coming out to the bush," he added.

Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray sealed the win when he split the defence in the 76th minute, after a precision pass from No. 7 Lachlan Illias, and then beat young No. 1 Jahream Bula to score under the posts.

South Sydney No. 2 Alex Johnston bagged the 12th try hat-trick of his career, to take his season tally to 18 tries and his career tally to 184 - leaving him 28 tries off the late Ken Irvine's longstanding record. However, he overtook Irvine by registering his 51st multiple-try game.

It was Johnston who shot Souths out of the blocks via a 70m intercept touchdown in the second minute.

Rabbitohs No. 3 Isaiah Tass was another standout: he scored Souths' second try after backing up Johnston close to Wests Tigers' tryline.

He then created their third try when he bumped off David Nofoaluma attacking the line down the left edge again - before returning the favour by off-loading for Johnston to dart over.

In the 66th minute, Tass provided the final pass that sent Johnston over for his third four-pointer - blunting a Wests Tigers fightback: back-to-back tries to No. 11 Isaiah Papali'i (44nd minute) and No. 13 Fonua Pole (57th) had made it a 20-18 ball game.

The victory snapped Souths' two-game losing run and moved them from ninth to seventh place midway through round 22.

For last-placed Wests Tigers, it was their eighth consecutive loss. Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens said "we're not that good a team" to give Souths a handy lead.

He said that luck was not on Wests Tigers' side, but added: "And, unfortunately, we're shooting ourselves in the foot too many times."

South Sydney 32 (Alex Johnston 3, Isaiah Tass, Keaon Koloamatangi, Cameron Murray tries; Latrell Mitchell 4 goals) d Wests Tigers 18 (Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali'i Fanua Pole tries; Koroisau 2, Luke Brooks goals)

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