80 min: Maloney hits the post from out wide and it’s all over!

78 min: Peter Sterling is wondering if he’s even seen such a big side, as the Roosters are, stopped in their tracks time and time again. As we wonder along with him...

76 min: Sam Burgess comes tantalisingly close to a try, but the ball rolls out of his hand as he dives for the line. That would have been the footballing equivalent of the bird had he scored.

75 min: Souths put on a big right-to-left shift but run themselves into a hole. The Roosters, with the ball back, send Waera-Hargreaves forward and he is picked up by Sam Burgess and driven mercilessly into the ground, with brother George adding his weight to the tackle. And the ball comes loose as Bunnies players surround Burgess to congratulate him.

73 min: The Roosters’ frustration becomes evident when Sam Moa swings a lusty forearm into the head of Auva’a. Waerea-Hargreaves grubbily (is that a word?) massages the neck area of the prone Auva’a with his elbow. Moa on report, Souths 20m out.

70 min: Souths go for the jugular when Reynolds kicks on the last, but it comes to nothing. He might have taken a shot for field goal from a good position but didn’t seem to consider it.

69 min: Souths go close again! Luke scampers down the right, chips and regathers, bats the ball to Auva’a who finds Tuqiri. His kick infield is smothered by Jennings but it’ll be a Souths feed.

64 min: Waerea-Hargreaves, I think, drops the pill just inside Souths’ half. So the Rabbitohs come again. Can they deliver the killer blow?

On the last Reynolds, way out on the right, kicks across field, the ball dropping along the padding of the left upright. Inglis, aided by the post, catches it, and drops over for a try. We think. It’s gone upstairs...

61 min: The Roosters are offside from the bomb allowing Souths some cheap metres —metres the Roosters can’t afford to be giving away. Keary then hoists the ball high as Souths’ set of six is about to expire but Johnston takes it handsomely 15m out from his own line. Gould wonders if Keary was shaping for a field goal before kicking that bomb.

59 min: A penalty gets Souths on the attack from the halfway line and they make dangerous inroads behind Sam and George Burgess but the Roosters gain possession when Williams robs Sutton.

55 min: The Roosters are teetering on the edge of oblivion here as Pearce kicks long to Dylan Walker who’s tackled on his own 20m line. Sam Burgess re-enters the contest, as brother George goes off.

49 min: Keary may have knocked that on first, into Minichiello, but Souths keep the scrum feed nonetheless and soon earn themselves six more when Tuivasa-Sheck knocks the ball forward while making a tackle.

49 min: Souths get a scrum feed 12m out when Minichiello spills a bomb. Sam Burgess, meantime, is off the field, walking gingerly.

47 min: Tuivasa-Sheck, bringing the ball up, is tackled and marched back 10m. Souths have the Roosters, and the game, by the scruff.

41 min: Reynolds’ clearing kick is charged down so the Roosters start their set on the half. But Williams is penalised for passing off the ground. On tackle two Keary is pulverised by Moa but it may have been a high arm from Luke that earned Souths a penalty.

How many huge momentum swings have we seen lately? Sometimes it’s a game of two halves. That half was a half of two halves. It’s rule tweaks behind these momentum swings, Trent Robinson said this week.

40 min: But there was an initial knock on from Burgess in that sequence so the Roosters get one last chance to score before the break and regain their lead. They work the ball to the right before Moa storms onto the ball from a few metres out. Ray Warren calls a try while he’s in motion but Sam Burgess gets his body between the ball and the in-goal as the half-time siren sounds. What a try-saver, what a finish to the half!

No try! Prior to Pearce picking up the scraps Maloney was deemed to have knocked on accidentally. The margin of the knock on was about the same as Robert Lui’s last week. Is that irony, Alanis?

Possible try to Roosters! Souths hammer the Roosters in defence, forcing the Roosters back and back but in doing so their line is staggered and Pearce jets though the gaps. He finds Jennings who finds Tupou who slides over!

37 min: Souths do well to hold their line, particularly after another surge from Pearce. They then work the ball out, kick long, and give Tuivasa-Sheck something to do. Moments later Luke and Te’o upend Williams (will they ever learn?), give away a penalty and get themselves on report.

35 min: Kenny-Dowall, out on the right wing, stands at dummy half but surprises Souths by running the blind. He’s tackled by a defender who was clearly offside and not caring one little bit.

33 min: The Roosters kick the ball deep but play is called back when the video ref spots the tiniest knock-on from Nuuausala in the lead up. The falling rain can’t have helped him, or his discombobulation from a heavy hit. Souths on the attack again!

30 min: It’s all Souths now as they hit the Roosters in waves. How this game has turned.

28 min: Reynolds has Guerra by the drawstrings and he pulls the darned thing so hard he’s surely threaded it. Guerra will have to get a safety pin to get that baby back in.

26 min: Both teams enjoy a few defensive sets without error before Souths oblige the Roosters with a cheap penalty. But the Roosters blow the possession, spilling the pill and Tuqiri charges forward like a man who’s found the elixir of youth.

23 min: Souths are running with renewed purpose now and the Roosters give away another penalty. And seconds after the whistle Waerea-Hargreaves nudges Te’o with a needless shoulder charge. Fairly gentle as far as these things go but he’s on report.

20 min: Almost like Atlas, George Burgess carries what seems like the entire Roosters team on his back. A miracle try looks to be in the offing but he’s brought to his knees. In the same set, however, Souths swing the ball right after working the left side. Reynolds shapes to kick but it goes through the hands to Tuqiri in a sliver of space...

19 min: Inglis makes a half break on tackle three and a quick play the ball catches the Roosters napping. Pearce holds Walker down to buy time and a penalty is conceded. Souths with a fresh set 10m out.

17 min: Maloney is scuppered by Reynolds on the halfway line and the ball comes loose offering Souths another possession in good field position. Souths are back. Shame about the 12-point start they’ve given Easts.

16 min: George Burgess spins and comes to rest achingly close to the Roosters’ line! Friend, it was, stopping him, a man half his size. Reynolds then attempts a grubber in behind but it’s cleaned up and Te’o gives away a needless penalty to allow the Roosters an easy escape from their own line. Good to have him back, Souths fans?

15 min: Souths’ first foray into Rooster territory? I think so. And here’s another penalty for a stray hand. The Roosters are inviting a comeback here.

14 min: Souths breathe a sigh of relief when Waerea-Hargreaves spills the ball a few metres out. On replay, it was George Burgess’s knee knocking it free. But it’s Souths’ ball from the scrum. And now a relieving penalty that gets them to halfway.

12 min: More pressure for Souths as they knock on 10m out after a bomb. Has the week off hindered the Rabbits? So far you’d have to say yes. Resoundingly so.

10 min: The Roosters roll a long way downfield but a relieved Souths —rattling like a lothario’s bedhead— keep their line intact.

Possible try! Another one, yes. Moments after Souths kick off Maloney launches a bomb on the halfway line. Minichiello leaps to steal the ball from Inglis’ waiting arms and he scores! Or does he? The video ref is checking for offside...

4 min: Pearce receives the ball on Souths’ quarter and steps straight through Tyrell and Turner. He then throws in another big step to beat Inglis to make it look easy.

3 min: It’s as willing as we expected the opening moments to be, while expansive football is still on ice for the time being. Reynolds bombs to Tuivasa-Sheck’s wing now but it’s Greg Inglis climbing high to claim it.

1 min: No mistakes from the Roosters who barge their way to the half before kicking to Johnston’s wing. A couple of tackles later George Burgess is crunched by Williams. You must have heard it.

And here they come! First the Roosters, led out by Minichiello. Now Souths, led by John Sutton. “Russell’s here!” says Ray Warren, as we see Russell Crowe up in the stands wearing what looks like a cut-off lab coat. I didn’t spot his young son who gave him a bit of lip last time they went to the footy together.

We’re not too far away now. A few late questions. How many Roosters supporters will make the long trip (emotionally speaking) from Bondi to Homebush? More than the 18,000 who turned up at home last week? And how many Greg Inglises will take the field? Souths could throw the Roosters a curly one with these:

Now it’s a freshly-laundered Sam Burgess being interviewed by Brad Fittler. Burgess is speaking highly of his time in Australia. Was Russell Crowe upset when he told him he was leaving Souths? Did he get Gladitorial on Burgess’ arse? “Nah, he’s smarter than that.”

The Ch.9 coverage has begun so let’s ride their coat-tails and hear something from Trent Robinson first off:

“The boys know what we need to do tonight. There’s nothing new, there’s no tricks, we’ve just got to outwork them and execute under pressure,” he says.

Sam Burgess, Luke, Reynolds and Inglis are the danger men, he adds, under pressure from the interviewer, Brett Finch, a man who looks as uncomfortable in a suit as a recently-discovered Amazonian tribesman.

Tonight’s teams.

Rabbitohs: Greg Inglis, Alex Johnston, Dylan Walker, Kirisome Auva’a, Lote Tuqiri, Luke Keary, Adam Reynolds, George Burgess, Issac Luke, Dave Tyrrell, Kyle Turner, John Sutton (c), Sam Burgess.
Interchange: Jason Clark, Ben Te’o, Chris McQueen, Thomas Burgess.

Roosters: Anthony Minichiello (c), Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce (vc), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (vc), Jake Friend (vc), Dylan Napa, Boyd Cordner (vc), Sonny Bill Williams, Aidan Guerra. Interchange: Sam Moa, Mitchell Aubusson, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Isaac Liu.

So Ben Te’o is back for Souths and Rooster Dylan Napa returns from his two-week ban for a shoulder charge on John Sutton. Otherwise no surprises —like, for instance, an overly sentimental bench spot for Souths’ all-time leading try-scorer Nathan Merritt who retires at season’s end (as does Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello). God’s speed to them both. Fine servants of the game.

And while we’re talking comings and goings, it’s worth remembering that both Souths’ Sam Burgess and Easts’ Sonny Bill Williams are leaving the NRL at the conclusion of the season. Given these two titans may not return to the NRL —though you wouldn’t bet against it— tonight could mark the end of their tenure in Australia. And what a tenure it’s been for both of them.

The Roosters, meantime, are looking to become the first team since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 & 1993 to win back-to-back titles. They swept all before them in 2013 under Trent Robinson and if they haven’t been quite as emphatic this season they still finished minor premiers, beating Souths in the final game of the regular season to do so. Over the past fortnight the league’s real silvertails have been put through the wringer but they’ve come through all the same, and if tonight they can put together an 80 minutes like the pulverising first 40 they put together against the Cowboys last week then they’ll be hard to beat tonight.

So. Souths will be rested from their week off, the Roosters will feel hardened by their tough finals campaign, and it’s anyone’s to win.

Tonight’s match marks Souths’ third consecutive preliminary final. Beaten by Canterbury in 2012 and Manly in 2013 Souths will be desperate to make the decider this time around and give themselves a chance to win the club’s first premiership since 1971, back when Australia was in black and white and newsreaders spoke like constipated Englishmen.

The dust-blowing, tumbleweed-rolling ache of failure has swirled around the Rabbitohs for most of the intervening seasons (a couple of which they spent on the sidelines). In recent times, however, Souths —under owner Russell Crowe, coach Michael Maguire, superstar Greg Inglis and a band of English brothers all built like Cleopatra’s Needle— have become a force in the NRL. The down at heel has become well to do. But time is running out to strike while their iron is hot. To fall at the same hurdle again tonight will be a shattering blow.

Paul will be here shortly. In the meantime, here is Matt Cleary with a few thoughts on tonight’s games:

In games this big, journo types will often build them further up with “Clashes That Will Decide The Fixture”. And often it’s halfbacks versus halfbacks, fullback versus fullbacks, and other players that rarely actually come into physical contact with another. But there’s one clash that will happen. And when it happens there will be pain. And thunder. And great vengeance and furious anger.

And that will be the monster mash of Sam Burgess and Dylan Napa. Dear Lord Rocket Reddy but this pair of full-bodied bash men will fairly sprint at one another. Fair dinkum sprint. And when they get there, when they meet, hoo-ee, it will shake the very earth. Car accident stuff. Heavy bodies. Total impact. The best kind. Boom. And in a final in which you’re highly unlikely to be sent off and being put on report is a risk-worth-taking, well. Look freakin’ out.