Penrith has replaced Parramatta inside the top eight after beating the lacklustre Eels 22-16 in the western derby at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday.
Before a slightly disappointing crowd of 14,012, the Panthers opened up a 16-0 lead after half an hour and always had enough in reserve to see off a mistake-riddled and strangely flat Parramatta outfit.
The Panthers will finish Round 16 in eighth spot while the Eels are on the outside looking in as their inconsistent season shows no real sign of leading to anything significant.
Penrith absorbed early pressure before coming up with first points after nine minutes on a grey day in Sydney's west.
Wade Graham's dead accurate cross-field kick to the right wing was dropped backwards and Luke Lewis was the man on the spot to pick up the loose ball and dive over in the corner for a 4-0 lead.
Rhys Wesser, playing on the wing, almost doubled Penrith's lead four minutes later but scraped his knee on the sideline as he attempted to squeeze the ball down in the corner after taking on the defence
Wesser did get over the line for a legitimate try in the 15th minute after some terrific work further up field from Frank Pritchard and Masada Iosefa put the Panthers on the attack.
Graham threw a cut-out ball to Michael Jennings, whose no-look pass gave Wesser a clear passage to the line.
Lachlan Coote nailed the sideline conversion - his first goal at NRL level - to put Penrith 10-0 up.
The Panthers went further ahead on the half hour when Iosefa took advantage of some poor Parramatta defence, forcing his way past three defenders to plant the ball down when it appeared there was no possible way through.
Coote landed the conversion and for the Eels it was a long way back at 16-0.
With 100 seconds left in the first half, Parramatta was thrown a lifeline by Matthew Keating, who barged his way over from dummy half.
Luke Burt's conversion made it 16-6 at half-time.
Feleti Mateo edged Parramatta back to within reach when he did it all himself to score after 15 minutes of the second half.
The bulky five-eighth stepped his way through the defence before carrying two defenders over the line to plant the ball down one handed.
Burt added the extras and Penrith was starting to look vulnerable at 16-12.
But just as the small but vocal crowd started to get behind the home side, the Panthers struck a fatal blow in the 58th minute.
A gap opened up for Lewis five metres from halfway after a smart decoy play, the No. 7 bursting clear before drawing Burt and sending Pritchard over.
Coote was on target with the conversion and the visitors' had their 10-point lead back.
Parramatta's faint hope of a great escape was aided when Taulima Tautai crashed over in the corner with three minutes left.
Burt missed the conversion to leave it 22-16.
The Eels almost pulled off the miracle when Krisnan Inu flashed down the left flank and kicked ahead - only for the ball to go over the sideline metres from the line with 90 seconds left.
The final scoreline flattered Parramatta.
Sportal Player of the Year
3 - Frank Pritchard (Panthers)
2 - Wade Graham (Panthers)
1 - Petero Civoniceva (Panthers)
Parramatta 16
Tries: Keating, Mateo, Tautai
Goals: Burt 2
Penrith 22
Tries: Lewis, Wesser, Iosefa, Pritchard
Goals: Coote 3
Before a slightly disappointing crowd of 14,012, the Panthers opened up a 16-0 lead after half an hour and always had enough in reserve to see off a mistake-riddled and strangely flat Parramatta outfit.
The Panthers will finish Round 16 in eighth spot while the Eels are on the outside looking in as their inconsistent season shows no real sign of leading to anything significant.
Penrith absorbed early pressure before coming up with first points after nine minutes on a grey day in Sydney's west.
Wade Graham's dead accurate cross-field kick to the right wing was dropped backwards and Luke Lewis was the man on the spot to pick up the loose ball and dive over in the corner for a 4-0 lead.
Rhys Wesser, playing on the wing, almost doubled Penrith's lead four minutes later but scraped his knee on the sideline as he attempted to squeeze the ball down in the corner after taking on the defence
Wesser did get over the line for a legitimate try in the 15th minute after some terrific work further up field from Frank Pritchard and Masada Iosefa put the Panthers on the attack.
Graham threw a cut-out ball to Michael Jennings, whose no-look pass gave Wesser a clear passage to the line.
Lachlan Coote nailed the sideline conversion - his first goal at NRL level - to put Penrith 10-0 up.
The Panthers went further ahead on the half hour when Iosefa took advantage of some poor Parramatta defence, forcing his way past three defenders to plant the ball down when it appeared there was no possible way through.
Coote landed the conversion and for the Eels it was a long way back at 16-0.
With 100 seconds left in the first half, Parramatta was thrown a lifeline by Matthew Keating, who barged his way over from dummy half.
Luke Burt's conversion made it 16-6 at half-time.
Feleti Mateo edged Parramatta back to within reach when he did it all himself to score after 15 minutes of the second half.
The bulky five-eighth stepped his way through the defence before carrying two defenders over the line to plant the ball down one handed.
Burt added the extras and Penrith was starting to look vulnerable at 16-12.
But just as the small but vocal crowd started to get behind the home side, the Panthers struck a fatal blow in the 58th minute.
A gap opened up for Lewis five metres from halfway after a smart decoy play, the No. 7 bursting clear before drawing Burt and sending Pritchard over.
Coote was on target with the conversion and the visitors' had their 10-point lead back.
Parramatta's faint hope of a great escape was aided when Taulima Tautai crashed over in the corner with three minutes left.
Burt missed the conversion to leave it 22-16.
The Eels almost pulled off the miracle when Krisnan Inu flashed down the left flank and kicked ahead - only for the ball to go over the sideline metres from the line with 90 seconds left.
The final scoreline flattered Parramatta.
Sportal Player of the Year
3 - Frank Pritchard (Panthers)
2 - Wade Graham (Panthers)
1 - Petero Civoniceva (Panthers)
Parramatta 16
Tries: Keating, Mateo, Tautai
Goals: Burt 2
Penrith 22
Tries: Lewis, Wesser, Iosefa, Pritchard
Goals: Coote 3
