Souths duo Graham, Mitchell put Broncos to the sword

South Sydney have scrambled before Campbell Graham dined out on Brisbane with a hat-trick in a 32-6 NRL win at Suncorp Stadium.

The ladder-leading hosts had all the play in the first half, Souths missing 20 tackles but still ahead 12-6 at the break.

The floodgates opened when Herbie Farnworth was sin-binned for a trip on Graham to begin the second half, Brisbane feeling the absence of the suspended pair Payne Haas and Ezra Mam in suffering just their second loss of the season.

Right centre Graham jumped to the top of the NRL's try-scoring ladder, his Friday night treble taking him to 11 this season in a timely NSW State of Origin audition.

His first came from a clever short grubberkick by Lachlan Ilias, his second from a trick play off a scrum and third when Latrell Mitchell delivered a brilliant cut-out netball-type pass his way.

Graham also set up Cody Walker for the match-sealing try - his smart catch, turn and offload creating a 22-point lead with 20 minutes to play.

Mitchell was quiet in the first half but had that moment of brilliance shortly after scoring himself, scooping up Farnworth's dropped catch and rolling over.

Farnworth and former Rabbitohs skipper Adam Reynolds were responsible for Brisbane's early head of steam, the centre making 10 tackle breaks as he repeatedly beat men on his inside.

Reynolds threw a long cut-out pass for Jesse Arthars' try while opposing captain Cameron Murray was in the sin-bin and then did the same to his right, only for Selwyn Cobbo to drop an attempted one-handed catch.

The halfback then nabbed an intercept as tempers flared with his old club, the Brisbane captain and Mitchell sparking a scuffle after they had tangled in a tackle.

Brisbane were on top at that stage, but terrific scrambling defence from Souths stifled their advances.

That defence continued even with a juicy lead, Mitchell and Isaiah Tass combining to hold up a flying Reece Walsh as the quietened Brisbane fullback tried to have an influence on the contest.

Mitchell wasn't done though, the left-footer following his kick to an undersized Walsh on the wing and picking up the scraps to score his double.

Thomas Burgess (201 run metres, 83 post-contact metres) was a point of difference off the bench for Souths alongside fellow substitute Tevita Tatola (201 meters, 18 tackles).

The Rabbitohs improved to 6-3 with the thumping win, in front of 40,102 fans, to sit just one win behind the Broncos.