The South Sydney Rabbitohs have come off second best in their round 26 clash with the Penrith Panthers at Penrith Stadium, going down in what was a disappointing result for the Cardinal and Myrtle.
It was a tale of missed opportunity for South Sydney, who had plenty of chances down Penrith’s end of the field. Two spectacular tries to Tyrone Munro certainly gave South Sydney Members and fans something to cheer about – particularly his second try which saw him run the length of the field after taking an intercept.
It was not enough however, to stem the tide of the three-time defending premiers Penrith, who were ultimately the better side on this occasion.
There were some positive signs early on for the Rabbitohs, who found themselves on the attack inside the Panthers’ red zone after five minutes off the back of a penalty. After a dangerous-looking set of six, Cody Walker orchestrated a nice play to the left which would have seen Tyrone Munro cross for his first try of the season if not for the last pass being called forward.
The Panthers in contrast, were able to take advantage of their early opportunities, winding up with a 12-0 lead after as many minutes thanks to tries from James Fisher-Harris and Luke Garner.
South Sydney had more possession down Penrith’s end of the field after Jarome Luai coughed up the ball coming out of trouble. A series of subsequent repeat sets and Penrith errors saw them almost permanently on the attack over the next ten minutes.
The Rabbitohs looked threatening again, but were unable to capitalise on their period of possession. The Panthers meanwhile, made the most of their chances and scored their third try of the game through Brad Schneider in the 25th minute.
The Red and Green received a reprieve after 33 minutes when Brian To’o looked to have scored an impressive try with a run back infield against the grain. However, further investigation revealed he had run behind Schneider and Liam Martin, with South Sydney awarded a penalty which saw them march upfield once again.
This time they would not be denied, with Munro on the receiving end of a perfectly placed Cody Walker kick to the corner for the Rabbitohs’ first try of the match. This would be the final scoring play of the half, which left South Sydney with a 12-point deficit going into the break.
The second half didn’t begin well for South Sydney, who conceded two tries to Sunia Turuva in a two-minute period. This saw Penrith increase their lead from 12 to 22 just five minutes into the half. The Rabbitohs were able to pick up an opportunistic try in the 53rd minute through Munro, who took a fantastic intercept and ran 90m to score in spectacular fashion.
Down by 16 with 12 minutes to go, things got a lot tougher for South Sydney, who lost Keaon Koloamatangi to the sin bin after he tackled Fisher-Harris off the ball in a potentially try-scoring situation.
In what would turn out to be the last scoring play of the match, Isaah Yeo then put the result well and truly out of South Sydney’s reach, planting the ball down next to the posts to cement the win for his team.
Match Snapshot
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James Fisher-Harris crosses for the first try of the game in the eighth minute.
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Luke Garner scored the Panthers’ second try with some nice footwork after 12 minutes.
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Brad Schneider pounced on a Jarome Luai grubber for Penrith’s third try after 25 minutes.
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Tyrone Munro reeled in a beautiful cross-field kick from Cody Walker to open the Rabbitohs’ account, as well as his own for the season.
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The Panthers went back-to-back with a double to Sunia Turuva in the five-minute period after halftime.
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Tyron Munro scored his second of the night with a breathtaking length-of-the-field intercept in the 53rd minute.
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Keaon Koloamatangi was sent to the sin bin with 11 minutes remaining in the game
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Isaah Yeo sealed the victory for Penrith with a try in the 70th minute.
Play of the Game
This week’s play of the game goes to Tyrone Munro’s second try in the 53rd minute. Completely against the run of play with Penrith on the attack deep in South Sydney territory, the 19-year-old came up with a beautiful bit of skill and awareness to pick off an Izack Tago pass and then run 90m to score. It was a brilliant read from Munro, and a timely reminder of the special talent and blinding speed possessed by the 6-game rookie. This surely won’t be the last time that South Sydney Members and fans get to see Munro at top gear with no defenders near him.
What’s Next?
The Rabbitohs will host the Sydney Roosters at Accor Stadium next Friday night. They will be highly motivated to finish off their 2024 campaign on a high note with a win, particularly against their cross-town nemesis the Roosters.
