South Sydney’s hopes of winning back-to-back NRL titles appear to be fading fast. Poor form and injuries to key players look to have cruelled the Rabbitohs’ campaign heading into September. In this week’s At The Bar, proud South Sydney supporter Michael ‘Speedy’ Stratton admits to The Area News sports editor Andrew Piva that it might not be the Bunnies’ year.
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Andrew: You’ve got to give me some credit, Speedy. Being a Broncos fan, I’ve been very restrained after the shellacking we gave the Bunnies last Thursday.
Speedy: To a degree, but fair dinkum, South Sydney were awful. That’s no disrespect to the Broncos. Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford would carve up most sides the way they’re going, but we just didn’t turn up.
Andrew: Where were you then?
Speedy: Buggers me. The boys were there in body last Thursday, but that’s about it. The Rabbitohs would be flat out beating the Tharbogang Tadpoles at the moment. I can’t see us getting over the Roosters this week.
Andrew: They’re looking pretty good the Roosters. Losing Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Mitchell Pearce doesn’t appear to have slowed them much. It could be a Roosters v Broncos grand final.
Speedy: I reckon the Broncos will get there, but I’m not sure about the Roosters. Watch out for the Bulldogs. They’re flying under the radar.
Andrew: Must be a pretty big radar if Sam Kasiano fits underneath it.
Speedy: Ha! Well, they’re still my dark horses.
Andrew: Speaking of horses, the Australian racing industry lost one of its giants when Bart Cummings died at the weekend.
Speedy: I was shocked when I heard the news. I think he was 87, which is a fair innings, but he’ll be missed. I tell you, punters would be hard pressed to name which of his 12 Melbourne Cup winners was his best.
Andrew: You're fooling no one, mate. I know you’ve got an opinion. Go on. Which horse is your pick?
Speedy: I’d have to go for Light Fingers back in 1965.
Andrew: I’m guessing you had money on him.
Speedy: It was a her actually. A little mare. And no, I didn’t unfortunately. My dad was an SP bookie out at Hillston and he said he’d place a bet on for me. I can’t remember which horse I chose, but I reckon they’re still out looking for it.
Andrew: Such is the life of a punter. But in all seriousness, Bart was a legend of Australian sport, not just racing. Even people who didn’t follow racing knew who Bart Cummings was.
Speedy: That’s true. The Melbourne Cup isn’t that far away now. I daresay they’ll do something to remember him this year at Flemington.
