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Wayne Bennett guides Rabbitohs to gritty 16-14 win over Dolphins

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South Sydney hold of Dolphins
Isaiah Tass scoring the game-winning try in the 67th minute to defeat Dolphins 16-14

South Sydney opened their 2025 NRL season with a hard-fought 16-14 victory over the Dolphins at CommBank Stadium, with young halfback Jamie Humphreys and centre Campbell Graham playing pivotal roles in a tense finish.

Humphreys, filling in at halfback for suspended recruit Lewis Dodd, controlled the game well in just his second NRL appearance, kicking for 711 metres and setting up the match-winning try for Isaiah Tass in the 67th minute.

Post-match, coach Wayne Bennett was asked if Humphreys had done enough to hold his spot, responding with his trademark dry wit, “You’ll have to read the papers on Tuesday,” drawing laughter from the media.

Bennett praised Humphreys’ composure in crunch moments.

“He laid on a try there late in the game when we needed a bit of work, but he got the ball at the right time,” Bennett said.

“The pass was great, so he’s only going to get better. 50 percent of the team out there is going to get better because they haven’t played for so long.”

Tyrone Munro was the star of the first half, scoring a double as the Rabbitohs took a 12-4 lead into the break.

Rabbitohs v Dolphins NRL Round 1 Highlights

However, he was ruled out for the second half after suffering a collarbone injury, the latest setback in his young career.

The Dolphins capitalised, with Jamayne Isaako grabbing his second try before Max Plath crashed over to give them a 14-12 lead.

Souths hit back as the $1.71 favourites with the top NRL bookmakers when Tass finished off a crisp backline move, with Humphreys nailing the sideline conversion to reclaim the lead.

Graham, playing his first NRL game since Round 27 of 2023 after a series of injuries, was instrumental in defence, pulling off a crucial try-saving tackle on Junior Tupou.

Souths captain Cody Walker acknowledged Graham’s resilience.

“Everyone in these four walls is extremely proud of him. It’s been over 500 days since he’s played NRL football,” Walker said.

“Seeing the excitement when he was running out there, you could tell how much it meant to him. He had a couple of disappointments last year where he was halfway there. We’ve obviously missed him over the last couple of years.”

Despite their late push, the Dolphins couldn’t break through the Rabbitohs’ defence in the dying moments.

Bennett, when asked if his team’s performance was “brave,” replied in his typical deadpan fashion, “Yeah, I thought brave is one word, courageous. Whatever terminology you want to put on it.”

The Rabbitohs will now head to Wollongong to face the Dragons next Saturday, while the Dolphins will aim to bounce back in Round 2.

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Topics: Dolphins, NRL, Rugby League, South Sydney Rabbitohs

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