As it happened: Rabbitohs hold off Panthers

Press Conferences: The coaches and captains from each side will be up shortly to discuss what they made of the action at Accor Stadium. Check out the live stream to hear their thoughts.

Full-time: A late Jack Cole try wasn't enough to close the margin, with South Sydney holding on to a 28-18 victory on the back of a dominant first-half. The five-eighth darted through the defensive line, with Jai Arrow left grimacing in pain after the try. 

Penrith pushed hard in the second half, but the Rabbitohs were superb throughout the opening 40 minutes and the 28-0 lead proved far too great. Rabbitohs 28 - Panthers 18. 

70th minute: Penrith are throwing plenty at the Rabbitohs as they look to finish over the top but South Sydney are holding firm as the match inches towards full-time. Prop Moses Leota came close to scoring with a barnstorming run, however he was not able to ground the ball. 

In another blow to the Panthers, Brian To'o has left the field with a hamstring injury. Rabbitohs 28 - Panthers 12.

58th minute: Penrith have got another one back, with Brad Schneider stepping his way to the try line. The halfback has been impressive since entering the contest early in the second half and the Panthers are growing in confidence as they pursue a stunning comeback. Rabbitohs 28 - Panthers 12

50th minute: The Panthers are on the board after Liam Martin charged through a broken defensive line to open his side's account. Penrith have been much better and South Sydney have come off the boil slightly since the break. There's a long way to go but the Panthers needed to score first to have any chance of a miraculous comeback. 

The Rabbitohs have been dealt a blow with Alex Johnston succumbing to the shoulder injury suffered while scoring a try in the first half. The club's primary concern is to the scapula and he did not return to the match after the break. Penrith halfback Trent Toelau has also left the field and limped up the tunnel with a knee injury, with Brad Schneider injected into the contest. Rabbitohs 28 - Panthers 6. 

Half-time: Jye Gray has put a punctuation point on a sublime opening 40 minutes for the Rabbitohs with his side's fifth try of the half. Another Penrith error put their opponents back on the attack and the diminutive fullback darted from dummy half to close out a stunning half of football.

The Panthers have made far too many errors to remain in the contest, completing just 6 from 12, compared to South Sydney's 23/25. Nineteen missed tackles, eight errors, five penalties and a set restart have handed the Rabbitohs plenty of opportunities and Wayne Bennett's men have been good enough to capitalise. Rabbitohs 28 - Penrith 0.

33rd minute: The onslaught continues, with Davvy Moale charging through to score South Sydney's fourth try of the evening. Daine Laurie spilled a kick to put the Rabbitohs on the attack before Cody Walker forced a line drop out with a pinpoint grubber. 

The pressure was too great for the Panthers and South Sydney are full of confidence. Rabbitohs 24 - Panthers 0.

30th minute: Penrith have made multiple uncharacteristic errors throughout the opening half hour and the Rabbitohs have capitalised on their opportunities. The Panthers are completing at just 66% compared to South Sydney's 94%, while Penrith have conceded three penalties and one six again. 

A penalty for a late tackle handed the Rabbitohs two points before the kickoff sailed dead to put the hosts straight back on the attack. Wayne Bennett's men made no mistake, with Koloamatangi crashing over from close range for his second. Rabbitohs 18 - Panthers 0

11th minute: It hasn't taken long for Alex Johnston to return to his try-scoring ways, with the winger soaring through the air to ground the ball in the corner. It's Johnston's 196th career try and comes in his first match since tearing his Achilles in Round 21 last year. The veteran landed heavily on his shoulder and elbow when scoring the try and has received some treatment but is playing on for now.

Meanwhile, Sorensen has been ruled out for the remainder of the match after failing his HIA. Rabbitohs 10 - Panthers 0

7th minute: It hasn't taken long for the Rabbitohs to strike, with Keaon Koloamatangi crossing for the opening points of the match. A left-side shift put South Sydney on the attack with Alex Johnston streaking down the sideline before kicking back in field. The Rabbitohs received a repeat set of six and Koloamatangi pounced on a grubber.

The Panthers have also copped a blow in the first tackle from the kickoff, with Scott Sorensen leaving the field for a HIA. Rabbitohs 6 - Panthers 0.

Kickoff: We are underway, with Penrith eager to avoid a third-straight loss for the first time since 2019 while South Sydney are looking to rebound from last week's defeat to the Sharks.

Late mail: Veteran Alex Johnston has been cleared to make his long-awaited return from an Achilles rupture and will line up on the wing. Johnston needs 18 more tries to surpass Ken Irvine as the greatest try scorer in premiership history. Just the one change for the Rabbitohs on game day, with Tevita Tatola shifting to the starting side and Davvy Moale dropping back to the bench. 

For the Panthers, Isaiah Papali'i will start at prop, with Lindsay Smith shifting to the bench. Brad Schneider came on to the bench in place of Blaize Talagi when the teams were updated on Wednesday evening. Daine Laurie will take his place at fullback after recovering from a quad injury.