A masterful Cody Walker performance has inspired South Sydney's comeback 36-14 win over the Dolphins after a controversial try early in the second-half turned the momentum of the match.
Rabbitohs playmaker Walker stamped his class on the contest after his side trailed 14-6 at the break and fullback Latrell Mitchell asserted himself with a barnstorming second-half try in front of 23,280 spectators at Lang Park on Thursday night.
The win moves the Rabbitohs up to third place on the ladder, while the Dolphins have slipped to seventh spot.
The second half started with a try to Rabbitohs centre Campbell Graham, who appeared to push Dolphins centre Euan Aitken in the back before snaffling a Lachlan Ilias bomb to score.
Dolphins prop Mark Nicholls questioned referee Ashley Klein about the decision at length but the bunker cleared the try.
Walker started and finished the try that gave the Rabbitohs the lead after the ball ricocheted off luckless Dolphins duo Brenko Lee and Jamayne Isaako from an Alex Johnston inside ball.
It went downhill for the Dolphins from there when second rower Kenny Bromwich was put on report and sin-binned for hitting Rabbitohs winger Taane Milne high while contesting a bomb.
Walker stepped up and toyed with the hosts' defence with precision passing and vision as the Rabbitohs scored five unanswered second-half tries, including three while Bromwich was in the sin-bin.
The Dolphins dominated the first half before being blown apart by a Rabbitohs side that showcased why they are a premiership threat.
The narrative before the match largely centred on the opposing coaches, Wayne Bennett and Jason Demetriou, who had worked together for five years at the Brisbane Broncos then South Sydney.
It was the apprentice, Demetriou, who came out on top, but the Dolphins were superb initially.
Dolphins five-eighth Kodi Nikorima put Euan Aitken over in the fourth minute with a superb short-side play and hooker Jeremy Marshall King added a second before half-time with a crafty piece of deception close to the line.
The Rabbitohs' only first-half joy was a try to Graham after a Mitchell double-pump.
South Sydney captain Cameron Murray was put on report twice in the first half, once for a dangerous tackle on Marshall-King and then for a high shot on Nikorima.
His Rabbitohs teammate Davvy Moale was also put on report for a trip.
AAP
