‘Cynical and deliberate’: Souths take aim at Roosters as turf war heats up

South Sydney have ramped up their bid to have bitter rivals Sydney Roosters banned from training at one of their local high schools after the Tricolours poached one of the club’s best young talents.

In the countdown to Friday’s NRL blockbuster between rugby league’s oldest enemies, Souths fired off an email to the NSW Rugby League over the weekend after the Roosters signed their Harold Matthews (under 17) captain, Keone Anitelea-Tsioussis.

Souths CEO Blake Solly said the move would never have happened had the Roosters been barred from basing their junior representative teams at Matraville High, a school deep in Rabbitohs heartland.

They asked the NSWRL last month to send the Roosters packing back to their own patch out of fear their presence at Matraville could “provide an incentive for South Sydney juniors to consider playing with the Roosters”.

And now they have signed 17-year-old Anitelea-Tsioussis.

“If the Roosters trained within their own area, that incentive would not exist,” Solly wrote in an email to NSWRL CEO Dave Trodden, which was seen by this masthead.

The bad blood between Souths and the Roosters has continued.Credit: Getty Images

“The Roosters are intent on cannibalising an adjoining junior league or pathways program.

“There is no good faith, and their use of the facilities at Matraville Sports and Randwick High School does not align with the spirit and intent of the rules in place.”

When contacted by this masthead on Monday, Solly said: “Keone is a good young player and a fine young man. We wish him well.

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“But this is a prime example of the real reason the Roosters train their junior representative in the Souths area. It’s not altruistic, it’s cynical and deliberate.

“Given their constant promotion about how fantastic the Roosters ‘academy’ is, you would think that they might be able to find a partner club or school in their own district to train junior rep teams.”

Under rule 2.18 of the NSWRL Community Rugby League Policies and Procedures Manual, it states: “Rugby league clubs are compelled to participate in matches and train for matches in the district or region in which the club is located and affiliated to.”

The Roosters have used Matraville High for the past 15 years, and invested around $200,000 into upgrading the lighting and facilities.

Souths have been desperate to end their deal with Accor Stadium and return home to Allianz Stadium, only for Venues NSW to shut down the move after strong resistance from current tenant the Roosters. The stadium is owned by the NSW taxpayers.

Should the Roosters defeat Souths this weekend, they will secure a spot in the NRL finals, but a defeat will leave them a chance of dropping out should the ninth-placed Dolphins lose to Canberra on Sunday. The Raiders are expected to rest a host of star players.

The Roosters’ junior clubs used to compete in the South Sydney competition, but when they broke a gentleman’s agreement and signed the Butcher brothers, Nat and Egan, nearly a decade ago, they were asked to leave.

The Roosters have been contacted for comment.

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