The Panthers beat the Rabbitohs 30-10 on the back of a Dylan Edwards masterclass, while Souths lost Keaon Koloamtangi to injury at CommBank Stadium.
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MATCH CENTRE: Panthers vs Rabbitohs teams, scores, videos, updates
Look out, top four contenders – the Panthers are coming!
The defending premiers continued their late-season charge on Friday night by defeating South Sydney 30-10 at CommBank Stadium. It was the Mountain Men’s sixth win on the bounce, and they did it without their inspirational co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo.
Granted, Ivan Cleary’s men still sit sixth on the table, three points behind the fourth-placed Warriors, but with upcoming games against premiership also-rans the Tigers, Titans, and Knights, their odds of making it five straight premierships are shortening by the day.
Fullback and stand-in skipper Dylan Edwards was superb, scoring two tries, kicking five goals from five attempts, and running for a game-high 292 metres.
Nuggety winger Brian To’o likewise kept the Bunnies on the back foot all night with his devastating kick returns. That said, he was rested with 20 minutes to go due to an ongoing hamstring injury.
The Panthers were never troubled by the injury-ravaged Rabbitohs, who, despite having an even share of possession and making five line breaks, struggled in attack without injured playmakers Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.
Paul Alamoti got the scoring underway in the 12th minute when he regathered a bat back from To’o before chipping for himself. Six minutes later, To’o’s strong kick return enabled Thomas Jenkins to set up Edwards’ first.
Edwards then turned provider when he sliced through the heart of the Rabbitohs’ defence to set up Casey McLean in the 36th minute.
Trailing 18-0 at the break, the Rabbitohs started the second term strongly, with Liam Le Blanc crossing in the 43rd minute.
However, Penrith quickly reasserted their dominance with Luke Garner’s superb offload setting up Edwards’ second six minutes later.
While the final half-hour of the match was tight, McLean crossed again to make 30-6 after 75 minutes, while Alex Johnston’s 78th-minute consolation try took him to 207 career touchdowns – just five short of Ken Irvine’s premiership record.
Could Benny get the Spoon?
South Sydney have now lost seven straight, and with Mitchell, Walker, Cameron Murray, Campbell Graham, and (potentially) Keaon Koloamatangi (ankle) on the injury list, Wayne Bennett is now in serious danger of claiming his first wooden spoon.
Should the Titans manage to beat the Tigers on Sunday, they will be level on points with the Rabbitohs.
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TEAMS
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Paul Alamoti 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To’o 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Brad Schneider 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Luke Garner 13. Isaiah Papali’i 15. Liam Henry 16. Luron Patea 17. Matt Eisenhuth 18. Jack Cole. 18th man: 20. Mavrik Geyer
Rabbitohs team: 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Tallis Duncan 11. Euan Aitken 5. Tyrone Munro 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Siliva Havili 10. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Jai Arrow 15. Lachlan Hubner 14. Peter Mamouzelos 16. Sean Keppie 17. Lewis Dodd 18. Liam Le Blanc. 19th man: 19. Thomas Fletcher