A strong start for the Rabbitohs Under 20s team saw them in position to record a positive result at Pepper Stadium against the Penrith Panthers. However, it proved to be a false dawn as they were run down by the home side in a one-sided affair.
Tom Perrin crossed first for the Rabbitohs in the seventh minute of play, crossing from the left wing for a four-pointer.
The Panthers struck back 11 minutes later when centre Caleb Aekins dived on a grubber to level the scores.
They followed up in the 25th minute with try to Jarome Luai, who converted his own try to take the lead out to 10-4 in favour of the home side.
The home side scored again in the 34th minute through Billy Burns, who broke the line three minutes out from the goal line. The conversion was missed, taking the score to 14-4 in favour of the Panthers.
The Panthers would add one more try before the break, with halfback Wayde Egan dummying and sliding through to score. Luai converted to give the home side a 16-point advantage at the half time break.
The Panthers picked up where they left off in the second half, with big Thomson Tuigimala crashing over in the 45th minute of play. Luai converted from close range to extend the lead to 26-4.
Two of the Rabbitohs’ under 18s set up the next try, with Cameron Murray getting outside his opposite number and throwing a perfect flick pass for Campbell Graham on the right wing to score.
The Panthers continued their run of dominance with another try to Braidon Burns under the posts to pull the Panthers to a 32-8 lead with 15 minutes left on the clock.
However, ill-discipline saw the Panthers go a man down when Cowen Epere was sent to the sin bin for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The remaining 15 minutes were uneventful and the game would finish up with the same scoreline.
Penrith Panthers 32 (Caleb Aekins, Jarome Luai, Billy Burns, Wayde Egan, Thomson Tuigimala, Braidon Burns tries; Jarome Luai 4 goals)
defeated
South Sydney Rabbitohs 8 (Tom Perrin, Campbell Graham tries)
