Bain and the Rabbitohs avoided a repeat of the result from the NRL meeting between the clubs two days earlier, surviving a scoreless second half with some sturdy defence.

But it almost came undone after the siren.

Premature celebrations from the Rabbitohs' Brad Zampech saw him penalised for a deliberate forward pass and it gave former Orange CYMS junior Toby Westcott the chance to send the game into extra-time with a penalty goal attempt.

However, the attempt was waived away and the Bunnies began celebrating with no fear of further penalties.

Bain said the Rabbitohs defence turned up for the game on the calendar which mattered most.

"It came down to our D. It was a weird first half. There were a fair few points quite early but then it felt like the attack just shut off for both teams," he said.

"That second half was all focused around our D and it was a great way to end the season.

"From the start of the season we showed that we could be competitive with all other teams in the comp. We had a slow patch, like most teams do, coming towards the end of the normal season but everyone picked up another gear coming into the finals."

It was back-to-back premiership seasons for Bain after he helped Bathurst Panthers claim the 2018 Group 10 title.

Bain said the experience of higher-tempo league was an eye opening moment.

"In Group 10, playing first grade, it was a really physical comp and I love that sort of footy," he said.

"This year it was the fastest footy I've ever played. There's still that level of physicality with it but it's just a much faster type of football. It was a big step up and I enjoyed every moment of it."

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Raiders opened the scoring when Semi Valemei capitalised on a Rabbitohs error to score in the corner.

The green machine were brought back down to earth when Harley Smith-Shields was sent to the sin bin and the Rabbitohs were quick to strike.

Nicholas Mougios made his way to the right corner for a try and Blake Taaffe added to the tally shortly after.

Taaffe made it a brace as he swiftly picked up a dropped bomb and scored.

Valemei wasn't to be outdone, finding a hat-trick to bring the Raiders back within two points before the break.

The two teams engaged in a defensive hit-out on their return to the field, not allowing either team the chance to make the breakthrough moment.

The post-siren penalty was the Raiders' best chance to find second half points but it wasn't to be.

Bain, who has another year to go on his contract with Souths, was grateful for the support he received on the path to the premiership.

"It was such a crazy year and I had a lot of support to help me get through it," he said.

"There was a lot of help from the coaching staff, family and friends. There were friends down there supporting me in the final and my mum, dad and brothers have been down almost every week to support me."