NRL live updates: Souths take on Tigers, Knights host desperate Broncos, Storm face Roosters in top-four battle

Wests have a couple of chances late but they can’t score any more points. The game kind of winds down to finish, which I think we all needed after a crazy shootout like that.

Laulilii drops another one and Souths can kill the game off with a try here….and Gray is the one who gets it! He slices through after combining with Wighton down the left. Tough few minutes for Lualilii. Cook nails it – why hasn’t he been kicking the whole time, deary me – and the Rabbitohs lead 42-28.

The Tigers halfback hits Jye Gray with a textbook hip drop and he’s straight to the bin. He’ll be looking at a lengthy suspension as well. Souths sweep left straight away, Milne goes for the line but he gets bundled into touch.

A very soft penalty on Fainu for hitting Wighton after a kick gives Souths a fresh set in good field position and Mamouzelous darts over right under the posts to extend South Sydney’s lead. Cook converts and it’s 36-28. Somehow, there is still 15 minutes to go.

There’s still plenty of twists in this tale – Wighton hoofs a bomb downfield, Bula tries to link with Laulilii but the young fella puts it down cold! Cook picks it up, offloads to Walker and he gets his second. A cruel twist of fate for the youngster and now Souths have a kick to take the lead….and Cook nails it. Souths lead 30-28. 

Staines roars into space on a kick return and the Tigers are back on the move, with a set restart to boot. Latu Fainu kicks it on the last, the ball gets deflected back to Sione Fainu and he powers over under the posts. The Tigers lead! Sezer converts and it’s 28-24 Tigers.

A set restart around midfield puts the Tigers on the attack and on the last they spread it left, Sezer cuts out Fainu, Galvin goes to Faatape and he’s got Staines on the wing to score with a terrific finish. Sezer has a kick from touch to level…and it just hooks wide. Souths lead 24-22. 

Gagai makes a big break down the right, Cook very nearly scores on the next play and while Chee Kam seems to have knocked on to let the Tigers off the hook the Rabbitohs successfully challenge and get the penalty. They take the two – a curious call given how open the game has been – and Cook makes no mistake. Souths lead 24-18. 

Get the feeling there’s plenty more points to come in this one, so don’t go anywhere!

What a strike from the Tigers right on halftime! They spread it left on their own side of halfway, nice tip on from Doueihi to Laulilii, he beats two defenders, Galvin and Bula link on the inside and the fullback is over! Sezer converts and this game is back alive. What a first half of footy! Forty points, many of them sensational.

Burgess rumbles through to get Souths on the attack, then a six again gives the Rabbitohs another set. A Chee Kam offload and then a spread through Wighton and Milne results in Johnston going over. Milne’s third try assist of the first half! That’s 195 career tries for Johnston by the way, he’s making ground on the all-time record. Cook converts – from the sideline, no less! – and the Rabbitohs lead 22-12.

Bula, Staines and Faatape link on a kick return and the Tigers are on the attack again. A good offload from Sam Fainu creates some ruck speed but as they spread it left a good read from Cook forces an error from Galvin. It’s a fun game, this, real end-to-end stuff.

Milne ducks into dummy half on the last, shows it to Wighton down the blind and pops a great little ball over the top to Johnston to score. What a piece of heads up play from Milne, that’s his second try assist of the day. Cook converts and Souths lead 16-12.

Wighton makes an error and the Tigers are on the attack again. Pole nearly surges through the middle but a few plays later he drops it as the Tigers look to play up tempo.

Rabbitohs centre Richie Kennar gets hit on the head as Utoikamanu returns the kick off and he’s out for the game. Mamouzelous will come on at dummy half, so Damien Cook will go to centre.

What is happening out there? The Tigers roll down the field, get a set restart on the fourth, go straight on the attack and eventually Da Silva darts over from ten metres out to score. What a couple of minutes for Da Silva, what a turnaround for Wests! Sezer converts and the Tigers lead 12-10.

Signs of life for the Tigers! Da Silva knifes through from 20 metres out, he has Galvin in support and the two youngsters have combined to get the Tigers on the board. They really needed that on. Sezer converts and it’s back to 10-6.

Now Wests kick it out on the full. This is a brutal start.  Souths back on the attack.

Things break down for the Rabbitohs on the last, Milne puts in a speculator of a kick and Walker is on the spot to score! The Rabbitohs are looking in a mood today. Cook converts and it’s 10-0 Souths. 

An offside penalty lets South Sydney out of their own end. The Tigers hold fast but give away a penalty on the last for offside and the Rabbitohs get a fresh on the Tigers line.

Eventually, Cook serves it up for Moale and he crashes over for a very soft try. That looked ominous.

Cook has been handed the kicking duties today. But his shot at goal is waved away.

Souths lead 4-0.