South Sydney has breathed new life into its top eight hopes, ending the New Zealand Warriors' five-match winning streak with a come-from-behind 38-28 victory at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The Rabbitohs trailed by 10 points at the break but came storming home to score five second-half tries and keep their finals dream well and truly alive.
It was a thrilling game with end-to-end action, 12 tries and 66 points scored in a pulsating 80 minutes.
The lead changed hands five times, the Rabbitohs leaving it until the last 90 seconds to finally secure their first win in three matches.
One will go a long time before seeing a poorer start than the opening the Warriors dished up.
After receiving the ball from the kick off they knocked on after just 33 seconds.
The visitors then conceded back-to-back penalties to put the Rabbitohs right on the attack.
It was almost inevitable a try would follow and it did, John Sutton laying on a lovely pass for Eddie Pettybourne to crash over for his first try of the season.
Chris Sandow knocked over the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
But from getting off to the worst possible start, the Warriors quickly put on two tries to take the upper-hand.
James Maloney's crossfield kick was batted back by Manu Vatuvei for Lewis Brown to flop on the ball for a simple try after nine minutes.
By the 14th minute the Kiwis had the lead, the 112kg Vatuvei trampling over the top of 86kg opposite Nathan Merritt to plant the ball down for his 13th in 12 games.
But David was soon to have his revenge on Goliath.
After smashing Vatuvei to trap him in-goal, Merritt finished off some tremendous work from Sutton and Rhys Wesser to flash over in the corner on 23 minutes.
Sandow missed the difficult conversion but it was Souths back in front 10-8.
A fluctuating game had its third change of lead after 31 minutes.
Jeremy Latimore ran off a flat Ian Henderson pass – Rabbitohs fans insisted it was forward – to stroll over under the posts.
When Maloney intercepted an ill-advised Sam Burgess flick pass to streak 35m, the visitors were on their way to a 20-10 advantage.
South Sydney was stung by that late try and came out a different side after the break
Tries to Fetuli Talanoa and Beau Falloon drew the teams level at 20-all with half an hour remaining.
Maloney landed a 55th minute penalty to edge the Warriors ahead by two before the try of the game had the Bunnies back in charge.
There appeared little doing as Dave Taylor ran the ball out from his own end and offloaded to Colin Best.
Best easily got rid of Kevin Locke and sped down field before picking up Sandow with a wonderful reverse pass.
The exciting No.7 saluted the crowd before diving over in the corner – and then landed the sideline conversion for an encore.
Talanoa's second try appeared to settle the issues 14 minutes from time, but there was one more twist remaining.
Brown darted over from dummy half in the 73rd minute to make it 32-28 and set up a tense finish.
But the Bunnies refused to crack, repelling all the Warriors could throw at them before sealing the deal with a Jamie Simpson try at the death.
South Sydney 38
Tries: Talanoa 2, Pettybourne, Merritt, Falloon, Sandow, Simpson
Goals: Sandow 5
Warriors 28
Tries: Brown 2, Vatuvei, Latimore, Maloney
Goals: Maloney 4
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