Panthers Embarrass the Rabbitohs in NRL's Round-24
In a game that was all but over at the end of the first half, the Panthers dominated the Rabbitohs at home in Penrith over the weekend.
The Panthers were a team possessed as they ruined any chance the Rabbitohs had of garnering a point in the opening 40 minutes. Breaking out an impressive nine tries on the evening, the Panthers cruised to a round-24 victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, 54-18.
Recap
The match opened with a try in the third minute from the Panthers' Sam McKendry and a conversion from Michael Gordon to give the home side an early 6-0 lead.
Only five minutes later, Sandor Earl added to the total with a try of his own, and Gordon slotted home another one from the tee, to give the Panthers a 12-0 lead in first 10 minutes.
The Panthers kept coming, as Travis Burns managed to cross the whitewash twice in the 11th and 20th minutes respectively, and Earl cruised across the line for his second try in the 22nd minute, to make it 28-0.
Gordon scurried over the line for a try of his own in the 34th minute, while Masada Iosefa scored the final try of the half for the Panthers in the 38th minute, giving the club a commanding 40-0 lead heading into the break.
After the half, the Rabbitohs were able to get on the board, but not before Gordon crossed the line for his second try of the day.
The away team was able to muster three tries from Luke Capewell, Rhys Wesser, and Dylan Farrell. However, it would never be enough, as Gordon registered the hat-trick with a try in the 80th minute, finishing the game off for the home side.
The Panthers had an all-around team effort, with six separate players dashing over the whitewash for scores. Nevertheless, Gordon stood out, scoring three tries, eight conversions and a penalty for over half his side’s points.
Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs looked inept. They were not able to generate any offence until the second half, at which point it was far too late.
Analysis
The Panthers were able to make up for last week’s slip up and retain home field advantage heading into the postseason. The Penrith side will be happy to head into the playoff in such impressive form.
The Rabbitohs continue to make it more difficult for themselves to get into the postseason. They are now sitting in 10th position and will need to win their final two matches of the season if they hope to stand a chance of getting to the playoffs.
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