Life without Adam Reynolds smacked South Sydney right between the eyes as a bumbling and fumbling 11-4 loss to the Broncos gave rookie coach Jason Demetriou a massive early headache.

Reynolds, absent due to COVID for his new club Brisbane, was missed by both sides at Suncorp Stadium but the Rabbitohs missed him the most. New number seven Lachlan Ilias had a tough night in just his second NRL game but he was done no favours by his teammates were way off their game and out enthused by a rejuvenated Broncos.

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The return of Latrell Mitchell for next week’s blockbuster against the Storm can’t come soon enough for last year’s grand finalists and for five-eighth Cody Walker in particular, who was out of sorts and unusually ineffective.

There were plenty of concerns for South Sydney in the first half where middle forwards Tevita Tatola and Mark Nicholls were dominated by a rampant Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan. Newly minted captain Cameron Murray shouldered the defensive load as poor discipline also proved costly.

The second half was no better where the exit of left centre Dane Gagai to the Knights at left centre also came back to bite Souths when his replacement Jaxson Paulo failed to catch and pass when a try was on.

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BIG HITS

KEVVIE’S SELECTION GAMBLE PAYS OFF

Kevin Walters copped accusations of nepotism when he named his son, Billy in the No.6 jersey for Round 1 but the 28-year-old silenced critics with a dominant performance that now leaves his dad with a selection head ache.

It had always been a mystery who would partner Adam Reynolds in the halves but when the marquee recruit was ruled out of Brisbane’s season-opener both candidates got a chance to show what they can do.

Walters partnered veteran Albert Kelly in the halves and the pair didn’t shy away from the task ahead.

Fox League expert Michael Ennis dubbed Walters’ performance “absolutely terrific” – but he believes regardless of that, it still could be Kelly that gets the nod in Round 2.

“Without Adam Reynolds in that side tonight, who they were relying so heavily upon to be able to execute their game plan, with him not there tonight, I thought Kelly and Walters were very, very good,” he said.

“Billy Walters was absolutely terrific, he was one of Brisbane’s best tonight.

“He ran the ball early, came off his left foot a number of times and straightened up their attack, defensively he was very solid and he got the ball out to the edges when he needed to.”

“But I got the sense from Adam Reynolds talking through the trial period that he liked what Albert Kelly did over the summer. I got the sense that he felt that it was a similar relationship to what he had with Cody. So it’ll be fascinating to see what unfolds in the next seven days.”

Benji Marshall marvelled at how much the narrative had changed in the last week. It was once about the bad halves head ache Walters had with no real clear leader to partner Reynolds, but now it’s a head ache of the good kind.

“Isn’t it amazing how the conversation changes,” Marshall said.

“Last week we were talking about who is going to be good enough to partner Adam Reynolds and they’ve both put their hand up tonight and proven to everyone they’re more than capable.”

Walters backed his son after the game but gave no indication on which way he’ll go next week.

“I’m not sure who was questioning him but I certainly wasn’t and the team wasn’t,” he said.

“I was really happy for him, I knew he had that performance in him. He played really well tonight.”

Walters finished the game with 97 running metres, five tackle busts, two offloads and 24 tackles with two missed, while Kelly scored a try, ran for 115 metres, had two offloads and made 12 tackles with one missed.

REYNOLDS LOSS FELT BY BUNNIES

The Rabbitohs got a good look at life with Adam Reynolds and it wasn’t pretty.

Many had hoped — or assumed — that the Bunnies could kick on with Cody Walker still in the team. But the superstar five-eighth looked clunky when the game was on the line in the second half.

Unusually, Reynolds would be the calm head that managed the game, allowing Walker to do his thing. But with 21-year-old Ilias alongside him, Walker had to shoulder a lot more responsibility.

“The expectation from Souths fans is that Walker’s going to create something… there’s been very little of Cody Walker in this second half,” Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said.

Rookie halfback Ilias discovered how tough the NRL cauldron can be in front of 32,002 screaming Queenslanders .

Ilias struggled to assert himself in the first half where he had no runs. It is only going to get tougher against the Storm in Melbourne where the young playmaker will no doubt be keen to get more involved early.

The pressure of being behind on the scoreboard told in the second stanza when he threw an intercept pass. To Ilias’s credit he had a crack and tried to conjure something.

There is only upside ahead with Ilias but the penny has already dropped that Reynolds’ exit after a decade of brilliant game management is going to hurt the Rabbitohs before there is a healing.

Benji Marshall — who was a part of the Bunnies’ side last season — pinpointed the moment that Reynolds’ experience really would have come in handy for the Bunnies.

“The little moments of composure in the back of the second half where a guy like Reyno would take control of the game and calm them down,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ennis also saw South Sydney’s long kicking game suffer without the premiership-winning No.7.

“Without Adam Reynolds in the side I thought Ilias was solid but they missed Reynolds’ long kicking game when they struggled to get out of their own end,” he said.

“They relied so heavily on that long kicking game from Adam Reynolds for so long. Not having that tonight was evident.”

COBBO ANNOUNCES HIMSELF

There was a lot to like for Broncos fans including the potential of a star on the rise.

Selwyn Cobbo terrorised opposing winger Josh Mansour — who has 169 NRL games under his belt — every time they competed for the ball.

And he caused headaches for the Rabbitohs every time he had the ball.

“He’s going to turn some defenders into turnstiles,” Andrew Voss said.

Greg Alexander added: “If your chase is not a straight line, he will tear you apart… the first South Sydney defender was beaten cold.”

Broncos legend Corey Parker joined in on the Cobbo praise from the sideline.

“We talk about Selwyn Cobbo and what a shining light he was last year. The game that he is having for the Broncos and the season he could have out on this right edge,” he said.

Meanwhile, Benji Marshall believes the 19-year-old’s performance — which included 152 running metres, three tackle busts and a linebreak — announced him as a genuine star of the future.

“Selwyn Cobbo to me in this game he announced himself to the NRL world He just showed what he can do with his skill, footwork and speed. He was classy today,” Marshall said.

“Cobbo is just one of those players that excites you when he touches the ball. But the best part about him, for a kid, he was doing the little effort areas that people don’t see.”

TEAMS

Broncos: 1. Jamayne Isaako 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Billy Walters 7. Albert Kelly 8. Keenan Palasia 9. Jake Turpin 10. Payne Haas 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Ryan James 15. Rhys Kennedy 16. Teui Robati 17. Tyrone Roberts Replacement player: 19. Brenko Lee

Rabbitohs: 2. Alex Johnston 19. Josh Mansour 3. Jaxson Paulo 4. Campbell Graham 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Cameron Murray 14. Jacob Host 15. Siliva Havili 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Michael Chee Kam Replacement player: 18. Davvy Moale

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