Penrith Panthers

Pangai's second outing in Penrith colours yielded the Panthers three tries during his bruising initial 24-minute stint, the ex-Bronco instrumental in transforming a 6-6 deadlock into a comfortable 30-16 win.

With Brian To'o (syndesmosis) and James Fisher-Harris (personal reasons) back on deck, Penrith were at full-strength for the first time since early May.

A kicking masterclass from Nathan Cleary and two pieces of magic from Paul Momirovski helped end the Rabbitohs' 10-game winning streak ahead of a likely rematch in week one of the finals. 

Having flogged Souths 56-12 in Dubbo in round 11 the Panthers were made to work much harder at Suncorp Stadium.

Again, Cleary had his fingerprints all over the victory.

In his second game back from a shoulder injury, Cleary tormented former teammate Josh Mansour in the air as the Panthers flexed their premiership muscle to stay within reach of Melbourne on the ladder.

Burton scored two tries, made three line-breaks, seven tackle breaks and ran a game high 211 metres with the ball as Penrith bounced back from last weekend’s 37-10 loss to Melbourne.

The win ensured Penrith retain second place on for-and-against ahead of South Sydney after the Rabbitohs 40-12 thumping of Parramatta on Friday night and opens up an eight-point buffer between the top three teams and the fourth-placed Eels and Roosters. 

The 28-year-old, who is now signed until the end of 2023, said the decision to stay was an easy one.

"I can honestly say it feels like home. The culture this club has built and continues to build is something very special and I am so excited to be a part of it," he told the Panthers website.

"The energy and love for the game the players and staff bring each day makes it such an enjoyable environment."

Cronulla have signed Dale Finucane on a four-year deal starting in 2022. 

Walters was both inspired and dejected after the heartbreaking defeat, confident his men could’ve produced the upset of the NRL season if they’d executed under pressure late in the game.

Instead, it was Panthers half Nathan Cleary who iced the game, a 43 metre field goal in the 74th minute and try soon after to extend Penrith’s undefeated start to 2021 to six straight games.

Walters recalled at least three wasted sets close to the Panthers line late in the game that cost his side victory.

Naden, whose place in Penrith's game-day 17 was one of the storylines of grand final week, admitted using the recreational drug to club officials last month.

His positive A-sample for "metabolites of cocaine" was registered in a post-game test conducted by Sport Integrity Australia after the October 25 decider.

Cocaine is prohibited in-competition by both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the NRL's Anti Doping Policy, with Naden now serving a provisional suspension as a result.

Penrith's now guaranteed a top two finish and a home qualifying final.

The Panthers will secure the minor premiership as early as tomorrow (Sunday) if the Melbourne Storm don't beat the North Queensland Cowboys.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are poised to finish with the competition's wooden spoon after falling to their 16th defeat from 18 matches.

They've been beaten 32-20 by the Manly Sea Eagles in Sydney.

Manly's now 10th, level on points with the Warriors who play the Cronulla Sharks tomorrow night.

The Panthers made amends for blowing a double-digit lead against Newcastle last week to run in five tries tonight - including a Matt Burton double.

Burton, playing in just his third NRL game, also had a hand in another try as he bounced back from the disappointment of missing five field goals on the same ground against the Knights.

The rookie had plenty of help from his teammates, particularly tireless front-rower James Fisher-Harris, who finished with a game-high 239 metres.

He also added four offloads and 31 tackles with no misses to his stat line.

The Warriors looked to have the match in the bag through 60 minutes of play, before the under-manned Panthers exposed shaky tackling to score with three minutes left, then former Warriors pivot Maloney delivered a field goal killer blow.

Even a stunning second half try by a flying David Fusitu'a - a contender for try of the season - couldn't get the home side the win.

Warriors centre Patrick Herbert kicked a 40 metre penalty goal to send the match into extra time, but that turned the game into the Maloney show, as the Warriors slumped to another loss in Auckland.

The Panthers racked up a third straight win by downing the defending premiers at Panthers Stadium, with Maloney providing three try assists and a field goal in an impressive showing to enhance his claims for a State of Origin recall.

Nathan Cleary came in for criticism following the Blues' State of Origin I defeat to Queensland in midweek, but he also put in a strong showing against the high-flying Roosters.