‘We can beat any team’: Secret meeting that has Souths confident they can cause damage in the finals if they get there

A meeting for the forwards led by injured skipper Cameron Murray about a month ago has sparked one of the great reversals in form at South Sydney and has players convinced they can “beat any team” if they sneak into the finals.

The Bunnies were in last spot after Magic Round with just one win to their name, but the return of some of their biggest stars from injury and suspension has coincided with four wins on the trot to sit just four points outside the top eight, although they have already had their three allotted byes.

While it’s easy to look at personnel as the main reason why they’ve improved, Murray’s chat with his fellow forwards while out injured proved pivotal.

“We had a meeting as a pack. Cam brought us in together when we were going through that struggle and he said that we are the only ones that can get us out of it,” Keaon Koloamatangi said, having made a successful move to the middle.

“Everyone looked at each other in the mirror and stopped blaming people on the outside because you’re the one on the field tackling and everything so you can’t blame anyone for anything.

“I reckon (that chat was a turning point) because we’re four from four. It was when we were constantly losing and we were looking outside in asking ‘what’s the problem, what’s the problem?’

“You’ve got to give credit to the other teams because they came out hard and played. They caught us when we were somewhat complacent.

“We weren’t aggressive in the middle, and as forwards, that’s our job to lay the platform for the backs.

“That’s what we’ve prided ourselves on over the past few weeks by starting fast and hard and laying the platform for our backs because we’ve got the best spine in the comp and points come out from everywhere.”

Latrell Mitchell’s return from suspension has revived their attack, with the star fullback setting up 11 tries in six games, but it’s their improved defence that has been the real difference, with the Bunnies conceding 24 points in three games.

It’s why Koloamatangi has issued a warning to the top eight should the Rabbitohs fight their way in.

“I don’t think we’ve thought that far ahead, but the end goal is to play finals. If we do get to the finals and it’s just one game, we back ourselves to beat any team,” he said.

“The start of the year wasn’t too good, but the positive thing is that last year we were leading the comp after 11 rounds but missed the finals. I don’t see why we can’t do the opposite this year.

“The way that we’re playing, we feel we can beat any team.”

The belief around the squad is that anything is possible this season if they keep winning, with the Bunnies looking to flip last year’s dramatic collapse of missing the finals despite leading the league after 11 rounds.

“We were leading the comp last year after 11 rounds and managed to not make the finals, so it should go both ways, shouldn’t it?” veteran Tom Burgess said.

“We’ve just got to keep playing our game, being happy around the joint, having fun and good things will come. We’re not trying to think too far ahead.”