‘Cronulla are no champions’: South Sydney icon Craig Coleman fires warning shot to competition

Coleman, who played 208 games for the Bunnies, and was instrumental behind the scenes in getting the team reinstated 20 years ago, sat a few rows back from the 10m line as the Bunnies scored a 30-14 win to book a showdown with Cronulla next Saturday.

In a spiteful encounter that saw seven sin-binnings, numerous dust-ups, a zero-tackle kick and several concerning head injuries, there wasn’t much time for free-flowing football, but with Mitchell and Walker at their best, it was the Bunnies whose class showed out.

Mitchell scored a try, kicked conversions from all over the park, put in three crucial cover tackles in defence and was vital when Souths twice went down to 11 players.

Walker took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, laying on three tries, including a beautiful long pass to Alex Johnston and a deft grubber for Jai Arrow.

“Cody was toying with them for a while there, every time they came down the left hand side,” Coleman told CODE Sports.

“He just toyed with them, he was fantastic.

“When you’ve got players like Latrell and Cody, mate, you go as far as they want to go.

“(Mitchell) kicked five from five – most of them from the sideline – and his cover tackles … it’s just big moments. Cody was the same.”

Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou backed up Coleman’s thoughts on Walker.

“He’s a generational player in my opinion,” Demetrious said.

“What he can do with a footy, not many can do. His game smarts and ability to execute.

“He’s been in some good form over the last two months, he’s playing with a smile on his face, and it sets us up nicely for the finals series.”

Walker’s influence is rubbing off on rookie halfback Lachlan Ilias too. Given the unenviable task of replacing club legend Adam Reynolds this season, Ilias says his job has been made easier by having the likes of Walker, Mitchell and Damien Cook nearby.

In his first ever finals game – and in one of the wildest encounters he’s ever been a part of – Ilias said Walker’s presence was particularly crucial on Sunday.

“Cody’s the best in the comp and if I can give him the ball at the right time, he’ll do the rest,” Ilias told CODE Sports.

“It’s unreal to play with him, and with a spine like Cookie and Trell and I’m just so humbled to play with them.”

The praise, especially from Demetriou, doesn’t exactly sit easily on Walker’s shoulders.

“Pretty big words from the coach, and it makes me pretty embarrassed to be fair,” Walker told reporters.

“I don’t class myself as a generational player. I just love getting out there and playing some footy and attacking.

“I’m speechless at those words.”

Mitchell and Walker weren’t the only standouts club legend Coleman singled out.

“The Souths forwards have been fantastic all year,” he said.

“Campbell Graham strengthened our right-hand side and I thought Damien Cook was really good out of dummy half.

“And of course Cameron (Murray). Cameron’s Cameron, and we’ve almost come to expect that stuff from him.”

Walker and Mitchell’s mercurial playmaking will most likely be overshadowed by the record number of sin-binnings referee Ashley Klein dished out on Sunday, and Coleman says the whistleblower lost control of the contest.

Klein marched Roosters firebrand Victor Radley after just three minutes, setting the tone for what was to come. Radley and Taane Milne were both eventually marched twice, with Junior Tatola, Tom Burgess and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also getting spells.

“The referee stuffed it, I thought,” Coleman said.

“You can’t keep sending people off, or we’ll have no game in 10 years. It’s getting ridiculous.

“I thought he did (lose control). Just let them play.

“There were a couple of high tackles, but nothing too bad and you just can’t keep sending people off. He ruined a good game.”

Redfern born and bred, Coleman maintains his old-school outlook on the game and loved the personal battle between veteran front-rowers Burgess and Waerea-Hargreaves.

Both big men pushed the limits of the law, but Coleman says it sums up the bitter rivalry perfectly.

“It’s as intense as ever,” he said.

“Jared was giving it to our boys, and Tom came on and gave it back to them. I think Tom changed the game for us.

“It’s good to see. Jared gets away with it, then Tom came on and he had to defend his boys. It was fantastic.

“I think Tom swung the game our way.”

While Coleman enjoyed their running battle, Demetriou believes Waerea-Hargreaves crossed the line when he was binned for slamming Burgess’ head into the ground.

“It’s an ordinary act, and the game has to come down on it,” Demetriou said.

“They know what they’re doing. You know what you’re doing when you’re slamming a bloke’s head into the ground, and I just think as a player, you need to have some respect for the opposition. If you don’t, then who are you?

“It’s not just the Roosters, it’s across the board that it happens.

“Tom’s a big man, but everyone saw how bad he got out of that tackle. I’m not just saying it for Tom, but for all players to take a serious look at how we look after each other.”

Souths will now play Cronulla at Allianz next weekend, with the winner meeting Penrith for a spot in the grand final after the Sharks lost a heartbreaking golden-point extra-time thriller to the Cowboys on Saturday.

Souths and Cronulla only played each other once this year, with the Sharks edging a 21-20 win courtesy of a match-winning extra time field goal from Nicho Hynes.

“It’s on again next week, and we’re a chance. We’re always a chance,” Coleman said.

“Cronulla are no champions. We were unlucky not to win at Shark Park not long ago, and I’m sure Souths will finish their chances.”