The Parramatta Eels produced a brilliant, fighting first half performance against the defending Premiers, but the Panthers controlled everything in the second half to strangle the Eels and take their first win of the year.
The Eels got off to a perfect start when a penalty in the second minute saw them start their first set inside the Panthers half. A set restart followed and then Joey Lussick dived over from dummy half ever so easily and predictably and he scored a soft try. Mitchell Moses added the extras.
The Panthers hit back in the 12th minute when a Nathan Cleary grubber into the Eels in-goal is collected cleanly by Dylan Edwards who scores with no one around. Cleary converts.
The 17th minute saw Moses Leota score a brilliant solo try. Leota received the ball flat footed 35m from the Eels line, stepped two defenders clean and then accelerated between two others to score a gorgeous try. Cleary converted.
A penalty against Jarome Luai for a trip allowed the Eels to march downfield and from the ensuing set, they shifted the ball left to Dylan Brown who shaped to pass long but then dropped a stunning short ball to Shaun Lane, who got through a tiny gap, evaded Edwards' tackle and strolled 20 metres to score under the sticks. Moses converted to level the scores again with 16 minutes remaining in the half.
The Panthers crossed again with something out of the Matrix. The ball went out to Sunia Turuva seemingly too early, who then slipped and fell to his knee, which coincidentally allowed him to duck under Clint Gutherson's cover tackle attempt. Turuva got back to his feet and dived over in the corner for a brilliant try. Cleary's sideline conversion hit the upright.
Penrith very nearly extended their lead further in the final 5 minutes of the half when Brian To'o landed short of the tryline but then lost the ball agonisingly short of the line.
With a minute left in the half Parramatta struck back when Dylan Brown in the middle and close to the line, delivered another gorgeous short ball, this time to J'maine Hopgood who stands in the tackle and then stretches out as he falls to score near the posts. Gutherson converted and at halftime the Eels had an 18-16 lead.
Penrith struck first after the break when Issah Yeo, in the middle with nothing happening, kicked across the field perfectly for Turuva, who leapt and caught the ball cleanly, then fell over the line to score. Cleary converted from out wide.
Just 3 minutes later the Panthers crossed again when Penrith spread the ball right to Izack Tago, who stepped inside his defender to score a soft try. Cleary from wide on the right hits the upright again.
Both sides started showing signs of fatigue over the last 20 minutes, however it was the Panthers who dominated everything and eventually suffocated the Eels attack to win 26-18.