South Sydney Rabbitohs v Penrith Panthers: NRL Thursday Preview

Penrith Panthers will be desperate to avoid three defeats on the spin when they face South Sydney Rabbitohs on Thursday night.

The reigning premiers started the season well with a win over Cronulla Sharks in Las Vegas, but have since slipped to back-to-back defeats.

Penrith are known for peaking at just the right time, but they will not want a 1-4 start to the 2025 NRL season nonetheless. And to make matter worse they will be missing star halfback Nathan Cleary.

The Rabbitohs have picked up two wins from their opening three games, and look a different proposition under the leadership of Wayne Bennett.

However they came unstuck against the Sharks at the weekend, losing by 15 points, and will be keen to bounce back.

There is no love lost between the two sides, and another epic battle looks to be on the cards at Allianz Stadium.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Penrith Panthers betting preview

Bunnies look to bounce back

The return of Wayne Bennett sparked South Sydney back into life as they began the season with wins over the Dolphins and Dragons.

However in their first true test of the season, they came unstuck when losing 27-12 at Cronulla Sharks at the weekend.

The Sharks ran in five tries, before the Rabbitohs grabbed two late on to make the scoreline semi respectable.

One plus point was the return of Jack Wighton from suspension, and he chipped in with one of the tries.

Latrell Mitchell is tipped to return in Round 5, but the game against the Panthers will come too soon.

If Souths are to win the game, it is likely to be close, and they can be backed at 9.00 to win by 1-5 points.

They have lost the last two meetings against the Panthers, but with Bennett back at the helm, anything is possible on Thursday night.

Nathan Cleary blow for Panthers

Penrith will be missing influential playmaker Nathan Cleary for the clash after he suffered a concussion in the loss to Melbourne Storm.

Cleary lasted just eight minutes, and he was sorely missed as the Panthers slipped to a six-point loss against the Storm.

Concussion protocols will rule him out again.

The Panthers have won the last two games against the Rabbitohs, by 22 points and 30 points respectively.

They can be backed at 2.00 to win this latest meeting by 13+ points.

Read more rugby league previews on site.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Penrith Panthers odds

South Sydney Rabbitohs - 3.85
Penrith Panthers - 1.27

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.