Saturday, CUA Stadium, 7.30pm

Referee: Gavin Badger

The Panthers have got to get straight back on the horse after what happened to them against the Raiders last weekend. That 74-12 thrashing in Canberra is bound to have left some mental scars and it would have felt like a long week at training, when what you are desperate to do in this situation is play again and try to wipe away the memory with a win.

Penrith sure get that chance against the Bulldogs, who are in disarray. The Bulldogs have had a heap of injuries, off-field disciplinary problems with players, and, of course, their superstar player, Sonny Bill Williams, walked out on them to play rugby union in France.

Last weekend, they were belted 36-12 by North Queensland, who had lost 13 in a row. The difference between the Bulldogs and the Cowboys was that the Cowboys, despite their long losing streak, had still been playing with enthusiasm. The Bulldogs look like they can't wait for the season to end.

If the Panthers can't win this game at home against faded opponents, then they are going to be acutely embarrassed, perhaps even more so than when they lost so heavily to the Raiders. Their record at home this season has been disappointing, but that should not be a consideration in this game. They will field a strong team and they are still in the race to make the finals.
The Bulldogs will presumably try to lift in an attempt to avoid the wooden spoon that is now firmly in their sights, but they are very low on ammunition.