Charity Shield

Cody Ramsey got the Dragons off to a flyer with a freak try in the opening exchanges that involved a superman dive and put down from outside the field of play.

“That is an early favourite for finish of the year,” Andrew Voss said on Fox League.

The Dragons then made it two tries in as many minutes when they scored off the kick-off with Jack Bird finishing off a long-range try.

“Too much speed for the Souths’ cover defence,” Greg Alexander said.

“The acceleration there from Cody Ramsey... it’s back-to-back. They didn’t even get through a set.”

Latrell still has NRL two games to serve on a six-match ban for a grade two reckless high tackle after breaking the cheekbone of his former teammate Joseph Manu in Round 24 last year.

Under NRL rules, suspended players only miss trials if found guilty of a grade three offence or higher, which means the Souths star can play in the Charity Shield in Mudgee on February 26.

However, the NRL are not allowing Mitchell to play for the Indigenous All Stars against the Maori All Stars on February 12.

It was a largely scrappy affair with execution and ball handling a massive concern for both sides.

The night was a successful one for the new rule interpretations with the shot clock cutting down on breaks in play while scrums were formed or drop-outs taken, while it looks like a by-product may be less debate around how play is restarted when there is contention over which side took a ball dead in goal.

It took 78 minutes but Rabbitohs bench player Patrice Siolo was the only player penalised for an incorrect play the ball.