South Sydney players have backed recruit Mikaele Ravalawa to overcome a defensive howler and hold his own against star Panthers winger Brian To’o on Thursday night.
Ravalawa only arrived at Souths from St George Illawarra last week, completed one training session and was then a late inclusion on the right wing for Saturday’s clash against Cronulla.
Braydon Trindall dives over for a try as Mikaele Ravalawa watches on.Credit: Fox Sports
While he had some solid carries, and almost scored a remarkable try in the first half, Ravalawa could only shake his head in the 45th minute as he watched Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall score.
Ravalawa, a late call-up for Fletcher Myers, backed away as Trindall charged for the corner, but had no idea how close he was to his own try line, and finished up standing behind it as Cronulla’s No.6 dived over.
It evoked memories of Lachie Miller when he was playing fullback for Newcastle in a game in 2023 and watched Manly’s Haumole Olakau’atu score the easiest of tries without a hand laid on him. Miller was standing on his own dead-ball line.
“I thought he [Olakau’atu] had stuffed up, to be honest; I thought this bloke has just put it down 10 metres short, then I looked around and thought, oh, this is not good,” Miller said at the time.
Replays of Ravalawa’s monumental mistake started to circulate on social media less than an hour after the 27-12 loss to Cronulla.
Souths players were never going to be critical of someone who had just arrived at the club, and said everyone need to improve for Thursday’s showdown with premiers Penrith at Accor Stadium.
Forward Davvy Moale said of Ravalawa: “I talked to him, and he was saying it was a bit of miscommunication, that he was getting caught out and couldn’t find the line.
“He’s obviously played over 100 NRL games and knows what he needs to do. That was just a lapse [of concentration].
“I know he’ll improve. Even on the weekend, he had some of those no-fear carries, and that’s what you want from your outside backs.”
Forward Tallis Duncan said Ravalawa couldn’t turn around and locate his own the try line, and was always going to need time to adjust to playing in a new team.
Duncan said the match-up with To’o would be a challenge, especially given both wingers play a very physical style of game.
Ravalawa played outside Campbell Graham, who appeared to struggle with a rib injury for most of Saturday’s game. Graham sat out the club’s only training session on Monday, but is expected to play against Penrith.
Latrell Mitchell also didn’t train with the team at Heffron Park on Monday, but remains on track for a return from a hamstring injury on Friday week against bitter rivals the Sydney Roosters.
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