NRL Match Preview: Rabbitohs vs Panthers RD20
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are back in action after a bye in round 19 and will take on the Penrith Panthers this Friday night at 8pm at CommBank Stadium.
The Rabbitohs will take plenty of confidence out of their previous clash with Penrith with a 28-18 victory over the defending premiers back in round four this year. Read our Round Rewind for a deeper look at our last clash with the Panthers and how we stunned them with a first-half blitz.
Keaon Koloamatangi was the standout performer on that occasion, crossing the stripe for a first-half double, while Alex Johnston, Davvy Moale and Jye Gray all got amongst the tries as well.
Even more impressive is that the match was won without superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell, who returns from State of Origin duty after missing the round 18 loss to the Sea Eagles to take his place at fullback in this clash.
South Sydney is always a stronger side with Mitchell causing havoc. He will certainly be doing his best to guide the team to victory by setting up his outside men, Johnston in particular, with his creative long-passing game, while simultaneously dragging in the defenders to create more space.
Keaon Koloamatangi: “I know Alex (Johnston) and how badly he wants to break it (Ken Irvine’s try-scoring record), but we don’t want to rain on his parade if we lose.”
One thing that Keaon Koloamatangi (and all his teammates) is looking forward to is the prospect of Alex Johnston crossing for his 213th career try to break Ken Irvine’s longstanding record of 212. With Johnston currently sitting on 206, Keaon is committed to doing everything in his power to make AJ’s milestone happen in 2025, and more importantly, making sure South Sydney get the win when it happens.
“Yeah obviously we want our teammate to be part of history. But at the same time we want to make it a positive thing to look forward to regarding making sure we win, making sure that when he does break the record we’re in a good space and we win the game. I know Alex and how badly he wants to break it, but we don’t want to rain on his parade if we lose. We want to make sure that when the time comes we have a bit of momentum and we’re winning games.”
Jai Arrow: “I’ve played every game this year and fairly long minutes. I definitely needed that week off to refresh the mind and refresh the body.”
While the Rabbitohs have had more than their fair share of injuries in 2025, Jai Arrow is one player who has not missed a game this year while punching out big minutes each week. As such, last week’s bye could not have come at a better time for the big Queenslander. Arrow is now feeling refreshed and ready to go, and will be putting his best foot forward as he and his teammates attempt to make a run at the top eight in their final seven games of the regular season.
“Yeah seeing Wayne (Bennett) this morning, he asked us how our time off was and I did say I did need it. I’ve played every game this year and fairly long minutes… I definitely needed that week off to refresh the mind and refresh the body. Hopefully we can finish off the season as strong as we can to make a run.”
Team Changes
South Sydney Head Coach Wayne Bennett has made several changes to the side that was defeated by the Sea Eagles two weeks ago in round 18.
Latrell Mitchell returns to captain the side in the fullback position. His return will see Alex Johnston shift back to the left wing where he will no doubt be on the receiving end of some cut-out passes from Mitchell.
Isaiah Tass has been named at centre, with Euan Aitken returning to the second row. He will be joined at the back of the scrum by Jacob Host on the other edge, who will make just his second NRL appearance of the season, as well as Jai Arrow who shifts back to the lock position.
Recent Results
- Round four, 2025 – Rabbitohs 28-18 Panthers (Accor Stadium).
- Round 26, 2024 – Panthers 34-12 Rabbitohs (Penrith Stadium).
- Round nine, 2024 – Panthers 42-12 Rabbitohs (Accor Stadium).
- Round eight, 2023 – Rabbitohs 20-18 Panthers (Accor Stadium).
- Round two, 2023 – Panthers 16-10 Rabbitohs (Penrith Stadium).
Match Details and Where To Watch
Fixture: South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Penrith Panthers
Date: Friday 18 July, 2025
Kick-off: 8pm (AEST)
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Where to Watch: Nine, Kayo and Foxtel
