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The South Sydney Rabbitohs have skipped out to a 12-0 lead in a rematch of last year’s NRL grand final which will decide who faces off with the Eels.
The Panthers ended the Rabbitohs’ season in 2020 in week three of the finals, and left the Souths faithful heartbroken last year with a 14-12 victory in the premiership decider.
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Each of the three times that the two teams have met in the finals has been decided by six points or less, with tonight’s clash at Accor Stadium (7.50pm AEST) set to be another barnstormer.
The Panthers looked to tire Latrell Mitchell out early in the game, with Nathan Cleary kicking early to test out the Rabbitohs fullback.
“They are making him work, making him get into the contest and trying to fatigue him,” Michael Ennis said in commentary.
22ND MINUTE: LUAI PINGED AGAIN AS PANTHER DENIED
Cleary’s kicking game looked to have got Penrith back into the game after a slow start when he sent a towering bomb to South Sydney winger Taane Milne.
Having caused all kinds of problems for Waqa Blake in the qaulifying final, Milne was the next victim as he spilled the kick, with quick hands seeing Charlie Staines go over.
“His side only made 25 metres that set and he launched a torpedo rocket,” Ennis said in commentary.
“It was Waqa Blake a fortnight ago. I’m sorry Taane Milne, it’s you tonight. You’re under assault. There was nothing on there.”
But again, the video review would work against Penrith, with Luai ruled to have run behind James Fisher-Harris and gained an advantage in the lead-up to the try.
19TH MINUTE: KENNAR FILLS JOHNSTON’S SHOES WITH STUNNER
All the talk pre-game was about Alex Johnston being out and how fill-in Richie Kennar would go replacing him.
But the 27-year-old dispelled those concerns as he flew over with a silky finish in the 20th minute to extend South Sydney’s lead.
12TH MINUTE: LUAI’S COSTLY MOMENT AS SOUTHS STRIKE
Cleary was terrorising South Sydney early with his kicking game and it looked to have set up the opening points of the game, albeit in unconventional fashion.
This time around Cleary sent it spiralling into the air and a wicked bounce saw Izack Tago run away to score.
The replays from the Bunker though went on to show Luai had held back Lachlan Ilias in the lead-up, seeing the try disallowed.
It proved to be a key early turning point as Souths went down the other end of the field and scored the opening try.
A quick play-the-ball from Cameron Murray then saw Damien Cook link with Mark Nicholls, who had the ball knocked out by the Panthers but Cody Walker was in position to pounce.
“The one thing you cannot do when you play South Sydney is give them cheap possession and we go back to the play before, some ill-discipline from Jarome Luai,” Ennis said in commentary.
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Penrith pulled a late change with Mitch Kenny starting at hooker and Apisai Koroisau moving to the bench.
The Panthers did this the last time the two sides met and it paid dividends, with Koroisau setting up two tries in the 26-22 win.
Speaking before that game, Panthers great Greg Alexander said it was a “tactical” move from coach Ivan Cleary.
“Mitch Kenny is a great defender,” Alexander said on Fox League.
“He’s tough. Api off the bench, it’s something different. Whether they think Mitch can soak up the opening 20 minutes against a big pack that were very good against the Eels. Maybe Ivan wants a little bit of spark after the 20-minute mark.”
Going back to the Bunnies, they were well out of finals contention in the early stages of this season, before Latrell Mitchell’s return ignited a charge into the elimination rounds – though they only managed to reach seventh on the ladder.
Led by Mitchell, the Rabbitohs beat the Roosters then crushed the Sharks to earn a shot at revenge against the Panthers, who also beat them twice this season.
Mitchell has kicked perfectly from the tee, converting all 12 attempts this final series, but the side has copped a serious blow with try-scoring machine Alex Johnston ruled out with a hip flexor injury.
He is replaced by Richie Kennar on the flank, but it is certainly a blow to their left-edge offence. Siliva Havili is also out, replaced on the bench by Jed Cartwright, while crucial forward Tom Burgess is also absent.
Going back to Mitchell’s goal-kicking though, former Panther and now Sharks forward Wade Graham said on Triple M he thinks that is a “barometer” for how switched on the fullback is.
“He’s been so good now the last six weeks but for me, my barometer for Latrell is his goal-kicking,” Graham said.
“When his goal-kicking is going well that means he’s settled his mindset, focussed and on the job. I can’t remember him missing a goal in ages.”
Mitchell has now won seven-straight finals games and eight of nine overall, with the 2017 Preliminary Final loss to the Cowboys while at the Roosters his only blemish.
As for Penrith, winger Taylan May is suspended following a high shot in their crushing 27-8 victory over the Eels – though he would likely have missed out anyway through a hamstring injury. Charlie Staines is his replacement.
Stephen Crichton is one to watch, having scored in six-straight games against South Sydney.
While the Rabbitohs enter Saturday’s game in red-hot form, Panthers legend Ryan Girdler believes there is a key “difference” between this year’s Penrith side and the one which took out the title last year.
“We spoke to Isaah Yeo on the show a couple of weeks ago and what would concern me as a Souths supporter is the fact Penrith, they’ve willed their way to a premiership last year,” Girdler said.
“I didn’t think they were in their best form at the backend of the season. They had a lot of injuries, a lot of disruption, they went the long way and played week two. I didn’t think their attack was that fluent. But this year he [Yeo] said their preparation has been spot on. They had Round 25 off and they had last week off. They’re full of running.
“You saw how they performed against Parramatta in week one. They’re on fresh legs. They’ll be going in with lots of energy and lots of excitement. I think that creates a little bit of a difference.”
Girdler also raised question marks over how long South Sydney’s best players can sustain the scintillating form they have been in in recent weeks.
“I think Souths have redlining for a long period of time now where their most important players are performing at a high level for a long period of time,” he said.
“How sustainable is that? Have they got a couple more weeks in them? I’m not so sure. They come up against a Penrith side that executes a plan better than any other team in the competition.
“The plan for Penrith is to go out there and play a really disciplined style on the back of the kicking game of Nathan Cleary and play with a real intensity for 80 minutes and I think that might be enough to see South Sydney off.”
TEAMS
Penrith Panthers v South Sydney Rabbitohs, 7.50pm AEST at Accor Stadium
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Charlie Staines 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 14. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 9. Apisai Koroisau 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Jaeman Salmon. 18th man: 18. Sean O’Sullivan
Players cut: 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. J’maine Hopgood 21. Sunia Turuva 22. Chris Smith
Rabbitohs team: 1. Latrell Mitchell 5. Taane Milne 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 21. Richard Kennar 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Cameron Murray 14. Kodi Nikorima 15. Hame Sele 16. Michael Chee Kam 17. Jed Cartwright. 18th man: 18. Davvy Moale
Players cut: 2. Alex Johnston 19. Blake Taaffe 20. Josh Mansour 22. Jacob Host
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