Round 26: Panthers v Rabbitohs preview
The Penrith Panthers will look to get their title defence back on track when they face the South Sydney Rabbitohs at BlueBet Stadium on Friday night.
And as much as that seems like an overly reactionary sentence to be writing after just one loss, it speaks to how much public perception of the defending premiers has soured since last weekend.
On the surface, the 22-18 defeat to the Raiders was a shock. But in reality, outside of a comprehensive win over the Dragons and a tight victory over a disciplined Knights side, the Panthers have largely been unconvincing over the past few months.
The fact there is some level of scepticism as to whether Penrith can make it three-straight premierships is probably a good thing for Ivan Cleary's team.
Every single year the Panthers have won the title, there has always been one period where external expectations have dropped or doubters have voiced their concerns.
That wasn't the case for much of this year, until now and for good reason given last Saturday's loss to the Raiders has Penrith in fourth and suddenly staring down a potential trip to AAMI Park in week one of the finals.
But the Panthers can start to get back on the right track on Friday with a very winnable game and comments from coach Cleary to reporters on Monday suggest he is after a big response.
"I totally believe we can win it. But we have to make a decision on whether we want to pay that price to win it," Cleary said.
"At the moment there is probably a question mark around that."
Quite the message sent and clearly, the coach is challenging his players to prove him wrong.
There have been some significant changes to the team this week too, with Sunia Turuva and Paul Alamoti into the backline for Daine Laurie and Casey McLean while Mitch Kenny returns from suspension at hooker.
As for the Rabbitohs, they are coming off a disappointing loss to the Knights and will be without the suspended Cameron Murray, although Cody Walker returns from concussion protocols.
Elsewhere, Siliva Havili is the fresh face on the bench, replacing Shaq Mitchell (calf).
There is not much to cover here with the Rabbitohs, who have avoided the wooden spoon but have nothing other than pride to play for at this point.
Last meeting: Round 9 2024 - Rabbitohs 12 Panthers 42
Who to watch: Daine Laurie had been one of Penrith's best when filling in for the injured Dylan Edwards at fullback but the experiment on the wing was clearly a mistake. Laurie was indecisive and uncomfortable in the position last week and unable to provide the Panthers with the kind of yardage the returning Sunia Turuva offers. Turuva has his obvious flaws in defence. It is why he was dropped to reserve grade in the first place. His presence in the backline should help the Panthers regain the momentum and go-forward that helped take them to three-straight titles. But all eyes will be on whether Cleary's wake-up call will lead to better defensive decision-making from Turuva.
The Raiders showed the path to beating the Panthers last week. It involved second phase play through the middle and then quickly shifting it to the edges. As powerful as Penrith's backline is, opposition teams can beat them with pure speed. Tyrone Munro has plenty of that to burn. The Rabbitohs are in a unique position where they have nothing to lose. That could breed complacency or, alternatively, it could give the likes of Cody Walker the freedom to throw the ball around more and if that is the case, the game plan should involve getting it to Munro in space.
FAVOURITE: Despite last week's loss, the Panthers are well-backed to get the job done
MY TIP: This really needs to be a dominant win from Penrith. With the finals nearing and coming off a loss, the Panthers have to head into September with some semblance of momentum. At the moment, they are coasting but not showing the level of urgency needed to go all the way again. Coach Cleary seems to have sensed it and has publicly challenged the team to lift. Expect them to do just that.
