Unbeaten in 80 minutes since being thrashed by the Raiders in May, the Warriors produced a performance reminiscent of that round-11 rout as they slumped to defeat against the lowly Rabbitohs.
Expecting a victory that would have solidified their spot in the top eight, the Mt Smart crowd watched in horror as their side shipped five first-half tries to leave their finals hopes hanging by a thread.
With three rounds remaining, Andrew McFadden's men must now travel to the lofty Cowboys next week and, with the middle of the table becoming all the more congested, tonight's defeat was a double blow in being so damaging to the Warriors' points differential.
These Rabbitohs, whose playoff hopes faded long ago, are perhaps better than their record suggested. They still boast the majority of the title-winning team of two seasons ago and they pushed the Storm to golden point last week.
But still, this was an opponent who had lost nine straight games and this was a speed bump the Warriors were expected to ease over. Instead, they potentially saw their campaign derailed.
They defended as though they cared little about their finals fate, showcasing all the tendencies that saw their season on the verge of ruin after their humbling against the Raiders. Too often directionless in attack, it was when without the ball the truly suffered, exemplified by a forgettable outing at fullback from Tuimoala Lolohea.
By the time he was dragged from the field following a woeful defensive effort for the Rabbitohs' sixth try, the exemplary way the Warriors began the game was but a distant memory. Clinical and accurate in the opening stages, with repeat sets seeing Solomone Kata score the first of his two tries, what was to follow was made even more inexplicable.
The slide started, as they so often do, with a couple of unforced errors - first it was Bodene Thompson's routine knock on, then it was Lolohea's loose pass. Both eventually gave the exceptional Adam Reynolds an opportunity to create and both eventually led to tries.
Forgetting all about their losing streak, the Rabbitohs began to defend with a newfound vigour. And that formed a stark contrast to the Warriors, as poor positioning, lapses in concentration and a surfeit of space in behind the defensive line allowed Souths to assume total ascendancy.
The five first-half tries they scored all featured Reynolds as a central figure and all displayed a ruthlessness that belied their record. But the visitors did receive a huge helping hand from the home side, as errors and penalties became commonplace as Souths continually probed at a generous defensive line.
The home side were almost lackadaisical as Joe Burgess grabbed a double and even worse when Greg Inglis crossed right on halftime to establish a 25-point lead at the break. It left the Warriors requiring a miracle and, although Kata's intercept suggested it was possible, that never threatened to eventuate.
Short memories and a defensive overhaul will now be required, with the Warriors left with three games to salvage their season.
Warriors 22 (S. Kata 2, M. Vatuvei, J. Tevaga tries; S. Johnson 3 cons)
Rabbitohs 41 (A. Johnston, A Gray, J Burgess 2, G. Inglis, H. Hunt tries; A Reynolds 5 cons, dg, D. Cook con, 2 pens)
Halftime: 6-31
