The Panthers and Eels will meet at BlueBet Stadium on Friday night to write another chapter in rugby league's longstanding rivalry of the west.
Having now lost two games in a row after going down to Wigan in the World Club Challenge and kept scoreless by Melbourne in Round 1, Ivan Cleary's Panthers will be desperate to get back to their winning ways when they meet with their Western Sydney rivals.
Conceding nine penalties and coughing up 12 errors, the Panthers will welcome back hooker Mitch Kenny into the starting side and ensure the three-time premiership winning spine is back to the well-oiled machine we know come Friday.
The Eels, meanwhile, head into Round 2 bristling with confidence after a classy 26-8 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday night and will be eager to return to the Penrith fortress after downing the premiers 32-18 there in Round 26 last year.
Despite Mitch Moses carrying a groin injury in Saturday's season opener, passing on kicking duties to his teammates, the Eels confirmed on Monday the star halfback will be fit for the Round 2 blockbuster.
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Team News
Panthers: A late switch an hour before kick-off with Daine Laurie joining the bench in jersey No.18 and Soni Luke dropping to 18th man. Scott Sorensen and Mitch Kenny make their return in the forwards so Luke Garner goes to the bench and Luke Sommerton drops out. Matt Eisenhuth, Paul Alamoti and Brad Schneider were the players to drop out of the squad when it was trimmed to 19 on Thursday.
Eels: Joe Ofahengaue will start and Junior Paulo goes to the bench in a late switch as they did in Round 1. Luca Moretti is 18th man. Wiremu Greig played NSW Cup in the curtain-raiser as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. Star winger Maika Sivo is due back from suspension in Round 4.
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Stat Attack
- The Panthers have won 10 of their past 11 games at BlueBet Stadium.
- The Eels have won four of their past six games against the Panthers.
- Panthers winger Sunia Turuva has scored try doubles in his past two games at BlueBet Stadium.
- Eels fullback Clint Gutherson has scored five tries in his past six games against the Panthers.
- The Panthers have not lost consecutive games to start a season since 2016.
This article contains content that is only available on NRL.com
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.