Johnston's triple treat leads Rabbitohs to win over Titans

Club legend Alex Johnston's 11th career hat-trick led the Rabbitohs to a 30-16 win over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday.

Johnston crossed for the 150th try of his career as the Rabbitohs racked up their seventh win of the season while Blues reps Damien Cook and Cameron Murray put the disappointment of Wednesday night's loss behind them to lead from the front.

The Bunnies' big guns got into the game early with Cody Walker floating a long cutout pass over to Johnston who cut back in on his left foot and crossed for his 12th try of the season.

In the 15th minute the home side hit back when powerhouse winger Greg Marzhew steamrolled Jaxson Paulo and evaded Taane Milne to cross in the left corner. Jamayne Isaako missed the conversion so Souths led 6-4.

Paulo made amends six minutes later when he grabbed a try of his own, soaring high to pull down a Lachlan Ilias bomb and the Rabbitohs were out to 12-4.

The identical play almost paid dividends again for Souths in the 36th minute when Paulo tapped an llias kick down to Keaon Koloamatangi who got over the line but was denied by good scramble defence from Isaako and Brian Kelly.

After leading 12-4 at the break it took the Bunnies just three minutes to extend their lead when Johnston made it a double courtesy of slick hands by Walker and Campbell Graham.

Down 18-4 and with the game slipping away from his team it was skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui who got the Titans back into it when he stormed onto a Tanah Boyd pass from close range to score and the margin was back to eight.

With 19 minutes to go Cook who stamped his class on the game when he jumped out of dummy half and turned centre Milne underneath for a try which took Souths out to a 24-10 lead.

Bunnies coach Jason Demetriou took Cook from the field in the 68th minute with 46 tackles, a try assist and 61 running metres to his name.

Nine minutes from full-time Johnston made it 11 career hat-tricks when he collected a perfectly timed pass from Walker and the Bunnies were home and hosed at 30-16.

Fa'asuamaleaui crossed for his second try late in the game to add some respectability to the scoreline but the damage had been done.

The Rabbitohs' win gave prop Tom Burgess the perfect gift in his 200th game and the Englishman contributed in a big way with 177 metres from 15 runs.

Match Snapshot

• Tom Burgess played his 200th game for the Rabbitohs. The Englishman sits seventh on the list of games played all-time for the foundation club. Burgess' fellow 2014 premiership winner John Sutton sits atop that list with 336 games.
• Maroons rep Tino Fa'asuamaleaui entered the fray in the 34th minute after starting the game on the bench and ripped in all day for the Titans with 177 run metres and two tries.
• Greg Marzhew produced a stunning first half for the Titans, running for 156 metres and breaking eight tackles to go with a try. He finished with 236 metres and 13 tackle breaks.