Rabbitohs stun slumping Panthers as premiership cracks widen

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have delivered a brutal wake-up call to the NRL’s reigning premiers, thumping the Penrith Panthers 28-18 in a Thursday night boilover at Accor Stadium.

Wayne Bennett’s side produced a first-half masterclass to lead 28-0 at the break, running in five unanswered tries and completely dismantling a Panthers outfit that has now slumped to a 1-3 start in 2025, with the top NRL bookmakers having the Bunnies as a $3.50 underdog.

The win was Souths’ third from four matches — all achieved without stars Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray and Campbell Graham, with Mitchell set to return for next week’s blockbuster against the Roosters.

Keaon Koloamatangi was immense, scoring a first-half double and terrorising Penrith’s right edge, while Cody Walker controlled the tempo and young fullback Jye Gray continued his breakout season with another sharp showing in attack and defence.

The Panthers, missing Nathan Cleary (concussion) and Dylan Edwards (groin), were a shadow of their former selves.

They completed just six of 12 sets in the first half and looked lost as the Rabbitohs ran riot.

“It was just one of those games,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary admitted.

“We made errors, couldn’t defend them, and just compounded them. The first half was comical at times — we haven’t found any rhythm yet.”

NRL Round 4 highlights: Panthers v Rabbitohs

Cleary and co-captain Isaah Yeo refused to blame injuries, but the signs are ominous. Penrith have now conceded more points in four rounds than they did in the first 13 games of their dominant 2021 campaign.

To make matters worse, they lost Scott Sorensen (concussion), Trent Toelau (knee), and Brian To’o (hamstring) to injury during the match, adding to their mounting casualty list ahead of next Friday’s clash with the Cowboys, where Yeo will celebrate his 250th NRL game.

While the Panthers rallied late with second-half tries by Liam Martin, Brad Schneider and Jack Cole, their fightback was hampered by a contentious Bunker call that denied Moses Leota a critical try in the 62nd minute.

Cleary later said he “honestly thought it was a try”.

For Souths, the performance — especially in the first 40 minutes — was a statement.

Bennett lauded the resolve of his depleted side and confirmed Johnston’s shoulder injury was “not on the too serious list”, though the veteran winger is likely to miss a week or two.

“We’re not worried about what people think of us,” Walker said post-match.

“We’re just competing — that’s all we can do.”

The Rabbitohs will now set their sights on the Roosters, while Penrith are left searching for answers as their dynasty faces its sternest test in years.

Top NRL betting sites now have them at $9 to win the 2025 NRL Premiership, with the Storm ($2.80) and Broncos ($5.50) taking the first and second lines of betting.

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