A heavyweight Friday night clash headlines Round 18 as the Panthers look to steady after back-to-back losses, while the resurgent Rabbitohs aim to continue their push toward the top four. With Origin absences, form swings, and ladder pressure in play, this shapes as a crucial test for both sides.

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Matchday Details

Friday, 3 July 2026 – 8:00pm AEST – CommBank Stadium, Sydney
📺 Nine Network / Nine Now / Kayo / Foxtel
Referee: Adam Gee | Senior Review Official: Chris Butler

Penrith Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards (c), 2. Thomas Jenkins, 3. Izack Tago, 4. Paul Alamoti, 5. Brian To’o, 6. Blaize Talagi, 7. Jack Cogger, 8. Moses Leota, 9. Freddy Lussick, 10. Liam Henry, 11. Scott Sorensen, 12. Luke Garner, 13. Lindsay Smith, 14. Billy Scott, 15. Kalani Leuluai-Going, 16. Billy Phillips, 17. Luron Patea, 18. Jack Cole, 19. Sione Fonua, 20. Zakauri Clarke, 21. Jaxen Edgar, 23. Tom Ale

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray, 2. Dayne Jennings, 3. Latrell Siegwalt, 4. Jack Wighton, 5. Edward Kosi, 6. Cody Walker (c), 7. Ashton Ward, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Brandon Smith, 10. Keaon Koloamatangi, 11. David Fifita, 12. Tallis Duncan, 13. Lachlan Hubner, 14. Jamie Humphreys, 15. Euan Aitken, 16. Liam Le Blanc, 17. John Radel, 18. Matthew Dufty, 19. Jayden Sullivan, 20. Moala Graham-Taufa, 21. Peter Mamouzelos, 22. Thomas Fletcher

Match Preview

Entering Round 18, Penrith (28) are four points clear in first place, with the New Zealand Warriors, the Dolphins, the Sydney Roosters, and Newcastle all on 24.

Depending on results this weekend, the Panthers’ lead could be reduced to two, with the Roosters and Warriors gaining bye points and either the Knights or Dolphins moving to 26.

After dominating the first half of the season, Penrith have come back to the field slightly, with consecutive losses to the Gold Coast and North Queensland.

Ivan Cleary’s brief press conference after the Cowboys game (“I don’t have many [thoughts on the game], really—it wasn’t great”) shows that he still demands excellence from Penrith and is hungry for at least one more premiership before he leaves.

South Sydney are having their best season since 2022. Despite a number of key injuries—which have derailed previous campaigns—they’re still in the top eight, helped by already collecting their six bye points. The top end of the ladder is so tight that Souths are only two points outside the top four. The flipside is they now have 10 straight weeks of football before the finals. They rebounded from three straight losses with commanding wins over Brisbane and Parramatta, scoring a combined 80 points.

Both sides are affected by Origin commitments: Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, and Liam Martin for Penrith; Cameron Murray for Souths.

Jack Cogger replaces Cleary, while Scott Sorensen, Luke Garner, and Lindsay Smith form the new second row/lock combination. Isaiah Papali’i is out under concussion protocols.

Souths regain Jack Wighton (returning in the centres), with Tallis Duncan shifting back to the second row. Dayne Jennings moves to the wing to cover Alex Johnston (calf). Lachlan Hubner replaces Murray, and Matt Dufty is named on the six-man bench.

Penrith have a 28–18 record in this fixture since 1998, including their 2021 Grand Final win that launched their premiership run. They split their 2025 meetings: Penrith won 30–10 (Round 20), while Souths won 28–18 (Round 4).

Brian To’o will have plenty of motivation after being dropped for Origin III. While Laurie Daley’s NSW selections have been heavily scrutinised, To’o’s omission was arguably the most puzzling. Though he made a few errors in Game 1, he had the most run metres for NSW in Game 2 (158). The idea that To’o is “too short” for Origin is questionable, given he has played 17 games since 2021 and scored 11 tries. He’ll likely be back in contention for the 2027 series.

The key match-up is between two fullbacks with contrasting experience: Dylan Edwards and Jye Gray. While Edwards hasn’t been recalled for NSW, his consistency for Penrith cannot be faulted. Since 2019, he has played at least 20 games in a season six times and already has 15 in 2026. He is the clear stand-in captain while Cleary and Yeo are absent and has consistently shown his ability to take on extra responsibility.

On the other side, Gray is one of the NRL’s most exciting young talents. After being benched in Round 12 against North Queensland, he has featured in the past three matches and looks unlikely to lose his spot before the finals. This presents a major opportunity for Gray to test himself against the competition benchmark.

Will Penrith respond after two straight losses and maintain their buffer at the top? Or can Souths continue their attacking form and push closer to the top four?

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Panthers by 6
Full Round 18 tips → /nrl-round-18-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Brian To’o scores a double.

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Andrew Pelechaty
Web Content Editor for Rugby League Zone.

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