Rabbitohs v Panthers preview

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South Sydney Rabbitohs v Penrith Panthers Thursday 8:00pm at Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park / Wanngal

The Panthers may be on a two-game losing streak, but the defending champions have been presented with a perfect chance to bounce back into form on Thursday night when they face an unconvincing Rabbitohs outfit.

It is hard to get a read on South Sydney, having started the year with back-to-back wins over the Dolphins and Dragons before crashing back to earth in a heavy defeat to the Sharks.

Perhaps the results and quality of opposition are a proper indicator of where Wayne Bennett's side will likely be all season long, or at least until Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray are back in the line-up.

At this stage, the Rabbitohs look to be a class below the genuine top-eight contenders, although they have a chance to prove why that isn't the case on Thursday against their bogey team.

While most South Sydney fans need not be reminded, the Panthers have long had the wood over the Rabbitohs, winning 12 of their last 14 games against the pride of the league.

There is a realistic chance for the Rabbitohs to reverse that trend this time around though, with Penrith down superstar halfback Nathan Cleary and fullback Dylan Edwards for Thursday's game.

The Panthers lost Cleary early in last week's gallant loss to Melbourne, while Edwards' absence was notable from the jump as third-string fullback Tom Jenkins was caught out of position on at least three of the Storm's tries.

While it may be harsh to expect Jenkins to have been on assignment for all three, it speaks to the high standard Edwards has set when it comes to his positioning at the back.

As for Cleary, his early departure didn't trigger the collapse many would have expected given Penrith trailed 12-0 at one point, with Jack Cole instead stepping up to steer the Panthers around, while Isaah Yeo once again proved himself to be the connective piece in the defending premiers' attack.

In terms of team changes, the Rabbitohs welcome back Alex Johnston but his inclusion is offset by a leg injury to Campbell Graham.

Meanwhile, the usually conservative Ivan Cleary has made a surprise call to name impressive pre-season standout Trent Toelau at halfback.

Elsewhere, Daine Laurie has been named at fullback but is still in some doubt with a niggling calf injury while Casey McLean has been replaced by Jenkins, who while struggling with the positional work of defending at No.1 looked every bit like a first-grade caliber player on Thursday night last week.

Last Meeting: The Panthers cruised to a 34-12 win late last year.

Who to watch: The Panthers have been uncharacteristically loose in their middle defence to start the season, and that could mean scoring opportunities for Peter Mamouzelos. It is going to take time for Mamouzelos to really hit his stride, having not played consistent big minutes in first grade before this year. But he has been building his game in the first three weeks of the season, picking his moments with short kicks close to the line when called for and defending well despite the size mismatch against bigger defenders. Against a Panthers side with plenty of size up front, Mamouzelos may struggle to assert himself early but as the game wears on he is as good a chance of any at breaking it open.

As for the Panthers, with Cleary set to return for next week's game against the Cowboys, this shapes as the perfect opportunity for Jack Cole to continue to develop as a more ball-dominant playmaker. Like Cleary early in his career, Cole also has the fundamentals down pat which make him a solid option in first grade. He can handle the physicality, is strong with his first-up contact in defence and has a solid running game. The passing is a work in progress, but it seems like, as was the case with Cleary, Cole too may only really show off his full arsenal when given the keys to the attack. James Maloney's departure paved the way for Cleary to grow into that role and similarly, when Cleary went off Cole seemed to rise in confidence as the chief playmaker. He played with great tempo, made the right decisions with his short-range kicking game and just looked ready to lead an NRL team. Of course, it was just one game so proceed with caution but Thursday night presents Cole with another opportunity to take that next step.

Favourite: The Panthers are well-backed to halt their two-game losing skid.

Tip: Cody Walker has caused problems for Penrith at times in recent years, even if the head-to-head record between the two teams doesn't suggest it, so the Rabbitohs are in with every shot of causing an upset. That is especially true if Laurie is out again given the reshuffle it would cause for Penrith. But based on the spirit the Panthers played with last week, if Ivan Cleary can harness that again on Thursday night it should be enough to see the defending premiers home. Panthers by 7.

1. Jye Gray 2. Alex Johnston 3. Jack Wighton 4. Isaiah Tass 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Cody Walker 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Sean Keppie 9. Peter Mamouzelos 17. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Tallis Duncan 10. Davvy Moale 14. Jayden Sullivan 15. Siliva Havili 16. Liam Le Blanc 18. Fletcher Myers

1. Daine Laurie 2. Paul Alamoti 3. Izack Tago 4. Thomas Jenkins 5. Brian To'o 6. Jack Cole 7. Trent Toelau 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 15. Isaiah Papali'i 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 10. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Henry 17. Luke Garner 22. Brad Schneider 18. Casey McLean

Referees: Ashley Klein; Sideline Officials: Drew Oultram, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski; Video Referees: Chris Butler;