Bulldogs 4 Panthers 30

THEY may be sick, but it's not yet time to read the last rights just yet. That was the prognosis from Steve Folkes after the Bulldogs were belted by Penrith in a "nightmare" performance at ANZ Stadium last night.

Folkes admitted his undermanned side was in a "transition period" after makeshift Panthers halfback Luke Lewis handed the Bulldogs their fourth loss from five outings in a game he never wants to relive.

"We don't want to be morbid, we're not dead. We're just a little sick at present," Folkes said after the drubbing. "It was a bit of a nightmare, wasn't it?

"I guess the club is going through a transition period and a tough period. We had something like nine first-graders out tonight and we're down to 15 for a couple of minutes in the second half. We had guys playing everywhere, which is obviously not ideal.

"They tried really hard but the harder they tried the worse they got.

"The footing and the ground - Penrith made plenty of errors as well.

"It was not a pretty game to be [at]. I think if I was at home I would have turned off.Sonny Bill Willliams, Luke Patten and Ben Roberts and Willie Tonga were just some of the big names in a bulging casualty ward. They were sorely missed.

And Lewis took full advantage.

Lewis has played on the wing for Australia. He can play centre too. He's filled in at five-eighth and last night he ran out in the No.12 jersey. But maybe, just maybe, he's Matthew Elliott's long-term solution to the problematic Penrith No.7 jersey.

In a week in which Jarrod Sammut was dumped from first grade and Richie Williams was dumped for good, Lewis scored a solo try and set up another.

Perhaps the answer to Penrith's halfback woes has been staring them in the face all along.

"I've got a new motto about football - wherever I get put, just play. It's not a very hard game to play, you sort of get the ball and just get as far down the park as you can and get to the kick.," Lewis said.

"If I get the chance to do it again I'd love to do it again."

They turned a 12-0 half-time lead into a good old-fashioned walloping.

"There were a lot of facets to our performance that were exactly what we were looking for," Elliott said.

After a shaky start to the season, the Panthers are now on the edge of the eight, although Elliott isn't satisfied with the club's standing.

"Our expectations are far higher than that and I think they are justified expectations," he said.

"As far as our own mentality goes, we need to put ourselves above where we actually are."

Asked what those goals were, he replied: "Win next week. I know it's such a wanky thing for coaches to say, to take it one week at a time, but our job is to win next week and that's what we've got to do."

The only bad news for the Panthers was a fractured cheekbone to forward Frank Puletua.

GUS'S VERDICT

BOTH teams were missing key players but it was the Panthers who took up the challenge and were far too good. Captain Petero Civoniceva led the way up front and Luke Lewis showed his class by steering his team around the park like a halfback even though he wore No. 12 on his back. Fullback Rhys Wesser also showed glimpses that he is getting back to his best. The Panthers looked faster and more enthusiastic than their opponents in every facet. After a slow start they appear to be rebuilding their season. Unfortunately for the Dogs their season looks like it's crumbling.

PENRITH 30 (B Tighe 2 M Gordon L Lewis F Pritchard tries M Gordon 5 goals) bt BULLDOGS 4 (M Utai try) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: J Maxwell. Crowd: 10,257.