Roar Guru
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20
Penrith Panthers 16
In Kyle Turner’s return game from injury, the Panthers struck first with James Segeyaro darting out of dummy half to score.
Bryce Cartwright went over soon after the Rabbitohs soon after got on the board through John Sutton.
>>MATCH REPORT: Turner concussion sours Souths win
Alex Johnston went over in the corner to level the scores at the break.
The second half did not start well for the Rabbitohs with Kyle Turner being taken from the field after sustaining an injury.
The Rabbitohs kicked a penalty goal before Adam Reynolds was disallowed a try for raking the ball.
Dylan Walker went over in the corner to extend Souths’ lead to 8 points, just minutes later Lewis Brown hit back after a stunning play from Jamie Soward and the Panthers’ left-side attack.
It wasn’t enough in the end with the Rabbitohs taking the win.
The Penrith Panthers face a huge challenge as they try to keep their finals hopes alive against South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium. Join The Roar from 3:50pm (AEST) for live scores and coverage.
South Sydney will be looking to continue their dominant form as they hunt a top-four finish.
The Rabbitohs need to use their forwards to muscle their way to a win. If George and Thomas Burgess can put in extra work up front, the entire South Sydney side will benefit greatly.
The other test for the reigning premiers comes on the wing with the right-hand combination of Bryson Goodwin and Joel Reddy needing to ensure their ball-handling and defence is at its best.
Kyle Turner returns from a neck injury on the bench, replacing Ben Lowe in the only change to Michael Maguire’s team.
Meanwhile, the Panthers sit at the opposite end of the table and are fighting to scrape into the top eight, a feat which seems highly unlikely.
The Panthers’ performance hinges on the halves, if Isaac John and Jamie Soward can properly guide their forwards across the line and set up overlaps on the flank with their backs, they could come up with an upset.
Ivan Cleary has made several changes to his side. Waqa Blake moves to centre, replacing the injured Dean Whare, seeing Josh Mansour return to the wing.
Isaac John replaces Peter Wallace in the halves due to injury, while Sam McKendry starts at prop, replacing Nigel Plum, with Apisai Koroisau returning to the bench.
Last time the two teams met, in Round 17, the Panthers defeated the Rabbitohs 20-6. The Rabbitohs are coming off of an impressive 52-6 victory over the Newcastle Knights, the Panthers lost at the hands of the Canberra Raiders last week 24-34.
Prediction
Penrith will not be able to match the Rabbitohs’ form.
Rabbitohs by 24.
Join The Roar from 3:50pm (AEST) for score updates and debate in our live blog.