Cody Walker has guided South Sydney to a 32-12 win over Parramatta that ensures the depleted Bunnies remain in the race for a top-four spot.<\/p>\n
In a week in which Wayne Bennett\u2019s side lost star centre Latrell Mitchell for the next month with a fresh calf injury, veteran five-eighth Walker shone brightly in front of 14,365 at CommBank Stadium on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 36-year-old opened the scoring for Souths, laid on a try for Euan Aitken, and was then the man to put the game to bed in the 62nd minute, going over for his second try at a time his side were looking vulnerable.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n Winger Ed Kosi had limped off with a thigh injury midway through, while fullback Jye Gray was sent for a head injury assessment after a head clash with Eels centre Sean Russell.<\/p>\n Despite passing his test late in the game, Gray wasn\u2019t needed as Walker sliced through the Eels\u2019 line and Souths (8-6) chalked up a valuable win ahead of a meeting with Penrith next Friday.<\/p>\n While the Rabbitohs were disciplined and workmanlike, the Eels were anything but.<\/p>\n Parramatta looked to have made solid progress in recent weeks but Thursday\u2019s showing felt like a step backwards in captain Mitchell Moses\u2019 250th NRL game.<\/p>\n Coach Jason Ryles was visibly frustrated as his side (5-10) made 17 errors, missed 36 tackles and had a 60 per cent completion rate.<\/p>\n Walker scorched through for the opening try in the fifth minute, the playmaker then setting up Aitken for his next magic trick to give the Bunnies a 12-0 lead with a quarter of an hour gone.<\/p>\n Moses set up Brian Kelly to make it 12-6 at the break before Parramatta squared the game after halftime through Tallyn Da Silva.<\/p>\n Kosi crossed on the right to re-establish a buffer in Souths\u2019 favour before Russell was placed on report for kicking Tallis Duncan as he crashed in on the same edge.<\/p>\n Walker burst through for his second with less than 20 minutes to go with Duncan collecting a brace in the dying stages to wrap up victory.<\/p>\n