In a gripping Round 18 encounter at Parker Street Reserve on July 4, 2025, the Penrith Panthers secured a 30-26 victory over a fast-finishing South Sydney Rabbitohs side, maintaining their chase for a top-four spot in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership. The Panthers, who led 30-16 at halftime, were held scoreless in the second half but held firm against a late Rabbitohs surge, per *penrithpanthers.com.au*.[](https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/news/2025/07/04/panthers-hold-off-fast-finishing-rabbitohs/)
The match began with South Sydney striking early, as winger Declan Casey and Ashton Ward scored within the first five minutes, giving the Rabbitohs a 10-0 lead. Penrith responded swiftly, with makeshift centre Harrison Hassett scoring off a Zac Lamont cross-field kick in the 11th minute, narrowing the gap to 10-6. The Panthers then took the lead in the 15th minute when hooker Luke Sommerton powered over from dummy-half, per *penrithpanthers.com.au*. Penrith capitalized on South Sydney errors, with prop Riley Price breaking the line to score in the 29th minute, followed by centre David Fale’s 30-meter dash after a Rabbitohs mistake, pushing the lead to 28-16. A penalty goal from Jack Cole before halftime sealed a commanding 30-16 advantage
The second half saw South Sydney mount a comeback, exploiting Penrith’s discipline issues. Panthers prop Austin Dias was sin-binned for dissent in the opening set, allowing Tayson Fakaosi to score for the Rabbitohs, reducing the deficit to 30-22 in the 49th minute. South Sydney continued to press, with another try bringing them within four points, but David Fale’s crucial kick smother on the final play secured the win for Penrith, per *penrithpanthers.com.au*. The Panthers’ 66% completion rate compared to South Sydney’s 80% highlighted their error-prone second half, per *nrl.com*.[]
Key absences impacted both sides: Penrith missed Daine Laurie, Paul Alamoti, Brad Schneider, and Matt Eisenhuth due to Origin duties and injuries, while South Sydney was without Jacob Host and Jayden Sullivan, per *penrithpanthers.com.au*. This win, Penrith’s third in a row against the Rabbitohs in 2025, moved them level with the Newtown Jets in the standings, per *penrithpanthers.com.au*. However, Nathan Cleary’s call for NRL scheduling changes after a post-Origin loss to the Warriors (14-6) underscores ongoing challenges, with injuries to Mitch Kenny and Brian To’o adding concerns, per *Yahoo Sports Australia*.[]
