Penrith Panthers

With the scores locked 22-22 and golden point beckoning it was tireless back-rower Liam Martin who surged over from close range to secure the Panthers' 19th win of the season.

After a ferocious start defensively the Panthers were able to cash in when Stephen Crichton swooped on a scrappy Damien Cook pass and raced 60 metres to score. The centre converted his own try for a 6-0 lead after just four minutes.

With Latrell Mitchell causing havoc at the back and Alex Johnston scoring tries for fun, South Sydney have won six of their past seven matches (including one Golden Point defeat) to find themselves just two points outside the top four.

The 2021 Telstra Premiership Grand Final rematch comes in the midst of a challenging run for the cardinal and myrtle, with games against the Cowboys (second) and Roosters (eighth) set to follow Thursday's heavyweight showdown.

Penrith had 55 per cent of possession and more than 50 tackles within 20 metres of Melbourne's try line but failed to score a point for the first time in a match since the Storm shut them out 20-0 in 2015.

It was Melbourne's third consecutive win, while the Panthers have now lost two of their last three games to give North Queensland hope of snatching the JJ Giltinan Shield when the top two sides meet in the final round at QCB Stadium.

Once again they both sit inside the top four with the Panthers on the cusp of securing their second minor premiership in three years.

Penrith allayed fears that they would go into freefall without halfback Nathan Cleary in their side with a comfortable 26-6 victory over Canberra last week, with the performance showcasing the depth coach Ivan Cleary has at his disposal.

Edwards looked to be in pain with a shoulder injury for much of the match but he continually turned up in defence and grabbed a try as the Panthers racked up their 18th win of the season.

The Raiders drew first blood in the ninth minute when their inspirational forward leader Josh Papalii powered over from close range for his third try of the season. Jamal Fogarty's conversion made it 6-0.

It took Penrith just three minutes to hit back after a Raiders error handed them their first attacking opportunity and hooker Api Koroisau burrowed over.

The loss of star playmakers Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai leaves a huge hole for Penrith and Ricky Stuart's men get a golden opportunity to knock off the tallest poppy and announce themselves as genuine contenders.

There's plenty like about the way the Raiders are playing their footy at the moment but they will be aware they need to go up another couple of notches to beat a side that has only two games all season.

The Eels were on top before Cleary was sensationally given his marching orders by referee Todd Smith for a lifting tackle on Kiwis five-eighth Dylan Brown at a sold out CommBank Stadium.

Piling on five first half tries, Parramatta inflicted Penrith's second defeat of the season - and they were also responsible for the other loss in round nine.

Trailing 30-4 at halftime and without Cleary or injured five-eighth Jarome Luai, the Panthers showed why they have been the NRL's top team of the past three seasons to limit the Eels to just one late try despite being a man down.

The Panthers had to do it the hard way against a dogged Sharks side in miserable conditions last Saturday, and for the first time all year are presented with the motivation of facing an opponent who currently has the wood on them. 

The Eels have suffered two defeats at CommBank Stadium this year, while the Panthers have won in five of their seven visits to the venue, with one of those losses coming against Parramatta in 2020. 

After falling behind 10-0 early, the Panthers slowly worked their way back into the game and had the class to grind out their 17th victory of the season.

The Sharks made the ideal start a Matt Moylan bomb was tapped back to Jesse Ramien who found Connor Tracey and the winger stepped off his right foot and beat four Panthers defenders to score in the corner after eight minutes.

With seven rounds of the regular season remaining Penrith find themselves eight points clear at the top of the ladder, while the Sharks have climbed to third after beating the Cowboys last up. 

Cronulla are riding a five-game winning streak and will be full of confidence, while Penrith should benefit from refreshing a number of their top line stars last weekend ahead. 

The last time they met in Round 14 last year it was Cronulla who came away with a late 19-18 victory, but prior to that the Panthers won the past four head-to-head clashes.