Rookie halfback Jamie Humphreys has thrown down the gauntlet to English import Lewis Dodd with a standout showing for South Sydney in their season-opening 16-14 win against the Dolphins at CommBank Stadium on Friday.
Signed from Manly, for whom he played one NRL game, Humphreys was expected to fill the role of back-up playmaker behind Dodd and veteran five-eighth Cody Walker.
But when the former St Helens star copped a one-game suspension in the trials, Humphreys was called in to start the season proper in the top grade – and he appears in no hurry to relinquish his spot.
“It’s a really special moment for me and my family, to represent South Sydney and pull on the jersey in the NRL for the first time,” Humphreys told Nine after the win.
Rabbitohs half Jamie Humphreys.Credit: Getty Images
“My halves partner out there [Cody Walker] is pretty special, and I’ve been pretty lucky to have come through – I’ve been under [Daly] Cherry-Evans and [Luke] Brooks at Manly, and Kieran Foran as well.
“And tonight with Cody, he’s a pretty special ball-player, and he takes a lot of pressure off me, and kind of lets me do my own game. I’m just there to support him, really.”
The 23-year-old, who is built like a forward at 1.83 metres tall and 97 kilograms, unveiled an impressive kicking game to ensure the visitors were constantly coming out of their own end in the first half.
That allowed the Rabbitohs to grab a 12-4 half-time lead.
They then faltered early in the second half, conceding two tries to find themselves in arrears, before Humphreys had a hand in the game-breaking try, leaving Souths coach Wayne Bennett facing a selection quandary next week.
After both sides went set-for-set for the opening 10 minutes, the Rabbitohs drew first blood when they created an overlap on the left edge and fullback Jye Gray drew the last man to send winger Tyrone Munro over in the corner.
Humphreys added the extras by converting from the sideline.
The Dolphins responded 10 minutes later with one of the more unusual tries you’ll see, after halfback Sean O’Sullivan hit Souths prop Davvy Moale in the back of the head with an attempted chip kick.
The ball rebounded straight back to O’Sullivan and he kept it alive before it ended up in the hands of centre Herbie Farnworth, who presented winger Jamayne Isaako with an unimpeded passage to the line.
Isaako missed the conversion shot, leaving Souths with a 6-4 lead that they extended four minutes later when Munro scored for the second time.
Humphreys directed a cross-field kick that the Dolphins did not contest, and it bounced off Munro’s legs before sitting up in the in-goal for him to gleefully ground it.
Unfortunately for Munro, he was unable to return after the half-time break because of a shoulder injury, forcing Bennett to completely reshuffle his backline.
Utility Jayden Sullivan, better known as a half or five-eighth, deputised as a stopgap centre, with Campbell Graham switching to the right wing.
Isaiah Tass swapped from the right flank to replace Munro, and sure enough that was where the Dolphins struck back, when Isaako dashed over in the 47th minute. He converted his own try to reduce the deficit to 12-10.
Five minutes later, the Dolphins hit the lead for the first time when halfback Isaiya Katoa popped a short ball and back-rower Max Plath scrambled over.
Humphreys had a chance to lock scores up at 14-all in the 62nd minute, only for his penalty-goal attempt to rebound off the upright.
But he made amends in the 68th minute when he initiated the sweeping backline play that culminated in Tass diving over to score, edging Souths ahead 16-14.
The match was played in western Sydney instead of Brisbane after it was rescheduled on Wednesday because of concerns about tropical cyclone Alfred.
Three Dolphins players – Mark Nicholls, Kodi Nikorima and Kenny Bromwich – opted to withdraw and stay in Brisbane with their families and homes.
Souths had their own personnel issues, with Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray and Alex Johnston all unavailable through injuries.
The belated switch left the stadium sparsely populated, and the crowd of 6738 was reminiscent of seasons 2020-21, when crowds were restricted during the COVID pandemic.
Dominic Brock
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