Nine’s NRL commentators were left in awe of South Sydney’s Jaxson Paulo after the winger scored a sensational try during the Rabbitohs’ 36-16 victory over Manly in their preliminary final on Friday night.
In the second half Souths skipper Adam Reynolds put up a dangerous bomb to the corner. Paulo leapt high to beat his opposition to the ball, cleanly collected it and with his back to the try-line, comically shuffled his way over.
Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic was too late to stop Paulo, as he flipped forward to score the try in the rarest of fashion.
“Incredible. That’s the best backwards-running try I’ve ever seen,” stunned Manly legend Paul Vautin said on Nine’s broadcast.
“Incredible.
“Look at this – beep, beep beep.”
While Vautin compared Paulo’s try to a reversing vehicle, eighth Immortal Andrew Johns saw an homage to pop icon Michael Jackson.
“Fatty, he’s not running backwards, he’s dead-set doing a moonwalk,” Johns laughed.
“He’s singing Michael Jackson songs. Jackson Paulo goes up, gets on the dancefloor and moonwalks his way over the line!”
The try was Paulo’s second on the night after scoring minutes before the end of the first half.
Rabbitohs try-scoring machine Alex Johnston added another try late in the game to put the cherry on top of a superb display that sealed South Sydney a place in the 2021 NRL grand final.
They will next play either Penrith or Melbourne in the season finale next week.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!