NRL 2021 finals week one: South Sydney Rabbitohs stun Penrith Panthers – as it happened | Sport | The Guardian

• 12.39pm BST12:39 Full-time: Penrith Panthers 10-16 South Sydney Rabbitohs
• 12.22pm BST12:22 Penalty! Panthers 10-16 Rabbitohs (Reynolds, 65)
• 11.58am BST11:58 TRY! Panthers 10-14 Rabbitohs (Paulo, 45)
• 11.38am BST11:38 Half-time: Panthers 10-10 Rabbitohs
• 11.37am BST11:37 Penalty! Panthers 10-10 Rabbitohs (Cleary, 40)
• 11.29am BST11:29 Penalty! Panthers 8-10 Rabbitohs (Reynolds, 35)
• 11.22am BST11:22 Penalty! Panthers 8-8 Rabbitohs (Cleary, 29)

Jonathan Howcroft

Well, I’m not sure anyone saw that coming. After a season in which Penrith and Melbourne have proven consistently ahead of the chasing pack, South Sydney stun the Panthers with a display full of determination.

It wasn’t an open, free-scoring contest, and the Bunnies weren’t the expressive side we’ve come to know and love. Instead, they were committed, hard-working, and refused to give in at any point. The pack were heroic, especially Tom Burgess off the bench, punching holes in Penrith’s line. Koloamatangi and Cook tackled everything that moved. And after a shaky start, young Blake Taaffe did everything asked of him at fullback on a night in which Nathan Cleary dug deep into his box of kicking tricks.

In possession, Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker were cool, but this wasn’t a match to rave about handling skills or combinations. It was gritty heads-down bums-up finals footy.

The Panthers were uncharacteristically off key. Not poor, just unable to find answers to the problems Souths posed. They went through the motions for long periods, only rarely looking to expand, and the formula that has worked for them for so long was found wanting. They committed more handling errors and conceded more penalties than the Bunnies, and only looked like premiership fancies when Cleary put his boot through the ball.

Penrith now have a date next week with the Eels or the Knights, after which you would presume it’s a preliminary final clash of the titans against the rested Storm. Souths get to enjoy a week off and prepare for a prelim against either Manly or the Roosters. This is building into a fascinating finals series.

Thanks for joining me tonight. We’ll be back for Parramatta v Newcastle tomorrow, if you’d like to stop by.

An incredible upset in Townsville. South Sydney defended for their lives and it has earned them a preliminary final. Penrith are now in Melbourne’s half of the draw.

80 mins: To’o does well on tackle two to keep the ball alive, but Souths refuse to give in. Burton almost breaks on tackle three but there’s no support. Then Luai knocks-on at dummy-half! Wow!

79 mins: The Bunnies continue to attack sensibly and with great toughness. Penrith have 90 metres and 90 seconds to save the match.

78 mins: Penrith can load up from halfway - and Kikau is flattened by Su’A, huge hit! The Panthers keep going, down the left To’o is almost through but he’s grabbed by Paulo. This is chaotic! Cleary kicks to the right, the ball comes back Penrith’s way and there’s more broken field play. But now a whistle, and Souths get the ball!

77 mins: Crichton runs out of defence following a terrific Reynolds kick , and he makes only 15m before he’s downed - only for Walker to stupidly rake the ball out of his grasp on the ground and concede a penalty!

76 mins: Penrith are still playing with little inspiration, relying on Cleary’s boot for penetration - but another superb catch, this time from Gagai snuffs out the latest danger.

75 mins: Reynolds and Murray have marshalled their attacks brilliantly all night, but they are starting to get ragged in these late stages and there’s broken field all over the place.

73 mins: Cleary kicks through on tackle three but the ball bounces horribly for the chasing Staines and Souths regather and rumble back downfield. On the last there’s space on the left wing and Johnston has the line in sight and a man inside in support - yet for some reason he tries to kick, Crichton intercepts and Penrith can break. Souths are all over the place and the Panthers have runners all over the place. Kikau gallops miles, there’s support on his inside, but Murray comes from nowhere to interrupt the pass and the ball goes to ground. This is becoming desperate, tired footy.

72 mins: Time is running out for Penrith. Souths continue to enjoy good field position. The conversation will soon turn to field goals.

71 mins: Superb from Reynolds. He chips behind on tackle four, spotting Crichton out of position, and the chasing pack earn a line drop out.

70 mins: That green line has defended superbly all night long, and once again they offer nothing to Penrith. Cleary kicks on the last like he has the ball on a string, and he places a delicate lob for Crichton to steam onto - but Taaffe is there! That is a huge contested mark! Massive moment in the game - and he’s awarded a penalty for his efforts. Huge moment.

69 mins: South Sydney control field position superbly for four tackles, then the ball gets spun to the right and Taaffe has a brain fade, dribbling a kick through that is overhit and gifts Penrith a seven tackle set.

67 mins: This has been a real blue collar match, both packs dominating the workload, both defensive lines pushing up hard and offering no space. The Panthers need some magic from somewhere - and it almost happens! Crichton with the kick reception, darting right from fullback, and as he hits the line he flicks a pass out to Staines with space to run into, but the youngster fumbles the pass and Souths take possession 15m out.

Penrith have 15 minutes to score at least a converted try.

64 mins: Both packs are starting to tire, taking their time getting back onside. Penrith’s forwards won’t enjoy a repeat set following a kick charge-down on the last tackle landing back in green hands. Three tackles later and Yeo is on report for a crusher tackle and Reynolds has a straight 30m penalty opportunity.

62 mins: Reynolds and Walker guide their troops downfield adroitly and the grubber ends with a tackle on the line. Penrith are going to have to do this the hard way.

60 mins: The Panthers are starting to fray a little. They’ve had no luck unlocking this redoubtable South Sydney defence, a low percentage captain’s challenge fails, and now a high tackle releases the pressure on the Bunnies coming out of defence and gifts them attacking field position for the fist time in about 15 minutes.

58 mins: Another excellent effort from the South Sydney defensive line, keeping Penrith at bay, but on the last there’s a hand in the tackle that forces the ball away - but for another set of six. After linking up well down the left with Kikau to the fore Penrith decide to head right and Staines has a look. The ball returns back to the centre of the field and a try looks inevitable with the defence scrambling and the ball going through hands at speed. But then To’o is barged into touch! Brilliant commitment from the Bunnies to repel Penrith under immense pressure.

56 mins: The result of the multi-phase CSI investigation into the drop-out contest is a successful captain’s challenge and Penrith have possession 10m out.

55 mins: Good defence from Souths, keeping Penrith at bay close to their line. Crichton dabs a cute grubber through on the last to force a drop out. The restart is contested and causes chaos. The on-field call goes against the Panthers, but there’s a captain’s call to unpick the melee.

53 mins: Souths can feel aggrieved with a penalty call against them for a late tackle against Cleary in his kicking action. There was nothing in that at all and the Panthers go from defending to set-piece attacking 15m out.

52 mins: The Bunnies are happy with a passage of tough midfield grind. Penrith have offered very little out wide so far.

50 mins: No, no Penrith cannot capitalise. Kurt Capewell loses possession in contact after Jai Arrow comes in over the top and the Rabbitohs survive.

48 mins: Tom Burgess continues to earn his keep off the bench, hitting the line harder than any other Bunny. The Panthers haven’t had any field position yet this half... until now. Just like the first half, a hopeful Cleary bomb is shelled, this time by Johnston, and Souths invite pressure on themselves. Two coach killers to infuriate Wayne Bennett. Can Penrith capitalise?

46 mins: Reynolds fails with the difficult conversion attempt from the right touchline.

Four tackles into South Sydney’s second set and they’re awarded a penalty on halfway for a high-tackle. Reynolds sets up perfect attacking field position, Burgess hits the line hard again, the ball spins to the right, but Penrith have cover. Souths reload and head back to the left edge. but only briefly because Reynolds sees space on the right. The ball goes quickly through hands after the No 7 double-pumps and Jaxson Paulo has the overlap to dive over in the corner! Brilliant from Reynolds and the Rabbitohs have the early second-half try.

43 mins: Good opening set from Souths who feed Tom Burgess for two bullocking drives. Kikau responds in kind for the men in black and for the umpteenth time tonight Cleary kicks from range down Taaffe’s throat.

41 mins: The second-half is underway. Who will earn next week off?

Always a pleasure to find an email pop up from BTL stalwart HarryofOz. “Cracking intense first half between my Bunnies and the Panthers,” he begins. “Was worried early on but we’ve fought back well.” Very true. “Been very impressed with young Taaffe’s performance at fullback. Fearless.” Aside from that early fumble he has done everything asked of him. At the time, I thought that knock-on could have set the tone for the Panthers to control territory and possession, but Souths crossed for a hugely important next score, and the game remains in the balance.

Scores level at half-time. It’s a scrappy affair in Townsville with neither side finding much rhythm.