An Adam Reynolds masterclass and a Robert Jennings hat-trick of tries has guided South Sydney to a 24-6 NRL defeat of Canterbury, their ninth straight NRL win.
The Rabbitohs No.7 gave a reminder of his class with a superlative kicking display as well as scoring one try and having a hand in another two for the premiership favourites.
While winger Jennings has established himself as one of the competition’s best finishers after his three-try haul took his season tally to 16, provisionally moving him to the top league’s try-scoring list.
Coach Anthony Seibold has transformed the Rabbitohs into a premiership force this season and with seven games remaining they look bona fide contenders.
In a promising omen for the Rabbitohs, on the seven occasions they have previously won nine straight in a season, they have gone on to be crowned premiers on six occasions.
The exception being in 1989 when they won 12 straight but fell one game short of the grand final at the hands of eventual premiers Canberra.
The club’s record winning streak in a season stands at 15, set in 1932.
The Rabbitohs were guilty of some uncharacteristic errors in the first-half with Angus Crichton blowing a golden opportunity with a wayward pass and Cody Walker putting it down cold with his side on the attack.
They finally clicked into gear when a towering Reynolds bomb caused the Bulldogs to turn it over and Jennings scored off a left-hand shift.
And when Damien Cook scythed through the defensive line from dummy-half, the Rabbitohs went 70 metres to score through Reynolds to make it 12-2 at halftime.
Reynolds fingerprints were once again all over the Rabbitohs third try when he deftly grubber-kicked for Jennings.
It took a back-handed basketball pass from Will Hopoate to Reimis Smith to get the home side on the board for the first time.
The Dogs were plucky in the first-half, getting over the line on three occasions only to be held up.
And a desperate strip from Sam Burgess on Jeremy Marshall-King once again denied the Bulldogs with 14 minutes remaining.
Souths completed the rout when Jennings grabbed his treble – the third time he has scored three or more tries in a game this season.
The results leaves the Bulldogs anchored in 15th spot with just four wins for the season.
