LIVE: Bunnies coach bristles at journo's question

South Sydney manager Jason Demetriou was successful nary temper to beryllium questioned astir his halfback aft Saturday night's 32-12 preliminary last nonaccomplishment to Penrith.

The Rabbitohs fell 1 crippled abbreviated of making the expansive final, but queries stay astir young playmaker Lachlan Ilias who this twelvemonth was asked to measurement into the sizeable shoes of Adam Reynolds.

The Bunnies were up 12-0 with minutes to spell earlier half-time, erstwhile abruptly the Panthers scored doubly to level the scores astatine the break.

The 2nd Panthers effort came erstwhile a spiral walk to Campbell Graham was dropped, and scooped up by Brian To'o who raced distant to score, palming disconnected Cody Walker successful the process.

Demetriou was aboriginal asked whether Ilias should person had the composure to calm things down earlier half-time, alternatively than throwing the shot astir and yet giving up possession, and points.

"Come connected mate - I don't deliberation it's up to a halfback successful his rookie play to ain that moment," Demetriou responded to the journalist.

"Campbell Graham has got to drawback that ball, archetypal and foremost. But I'm not going to beryllium present and enactment it connected a halfback.

"As a team, astatine 12-0, we astir apt should person looked for the one-point (field goal) set. And adjacent successful the coach's container determination were discussions astir going for the effort oregon going for the 1 point.

"But (if) Campbell catches it (then) we're not having the conversation, and if we marque the tackle we're not having the conversation.

We've inactive got 2 blokes determination to marque the tackle and we don't marque it. So we person opportunities (to halt that).

"I thought Lachie was outstanding again tonight. I'm truly arrogant of his season.

"There's a fewer guys successful that squad who are going to beryllium a batch amended for it adjacent play - Lachlan Ilias, Isaiah Tass... immoderate players who person got a sensation of archetypal people this twelvemonth who are going to beryllium amended for it adjacent year."