Last Saturday we took home the 2025 Mario Fenech Cup, even though the game that preceded was far from pretty. It was a hard slog on field with the red & black struggling to find their path forward. Fatigue ravaged the team as they made one hundred more tackles than the opposition, leading to 21 errors and a compounding situation that saw immense output with very little energy for attack. However, based on aggregate points across the two games, the Bears were able to retain the silverware for the 2025 season.

At the nostalgic ground of Redfern Oval, the two proud foundation clubs of Souths & Norths went up against each other in front a passionate Saturday afternoon footy crowd. Souths came out swinging with two dangerous tackle penalties blown within the first five minutes and setting the tone of the game. The Bunnies crossed the line for the first time around the 13th minute mark, converted and lead 6 – 0. Ten minutes later the Bunnies are on the attack again, sweep the ball to the wing and with a long ball finding the Bears defence lacking they cross over the white line. The score sat at 10 – 0 after the first forty minutes at the change of ends.

Head Coach Tony Barnes lamented the continual errors and lack of eyes up footy during the half time chat and the team headed back out on to the field to work on regaining control of the game. Across the two halves, we saw 37 minutes of play where neither team was able to take the advantage. Almost sixty minutes gone, and the Rabbitohs finally cross for the third time and convert. During the last ten minutes the red & black continued to fight on, albeit heavily fatigued from enduring spells of defence. Bears give up a penalty with nine minutes on the clock and the Rabbitohs choose to take the shot and extend their lead to 18 – 0. With less than a minute on the clock, the Rabbitohs are pulled up for a professional foul ending in a sin binning Tim Johannssen. Wanting to avoid a scoreless game, the Bears point to the posts. Harradyn Wilson converts, and the whistle blows with the final score 18 – 0 to the opposition.