Penrith have laid to rest any concerns about their form as the NRL finals approach, ending South Sydney's 10-game winning streak and making a statement with a 25-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
After the Rabbitohs bolted out of the blocks to lead 12-0 after 23 minutes, last year's grand finalists Penrith produced a near-perfect second half to show they are back near their best.
Nathan Cleary was back to his old self as he terrorised former teammate Josh Mansour with his bombs, while Paul Momirovski was an unlikely hero with his boot.
The only worry for Penrith was a concussion suffered by fullback Dylan Edwards, leaving Stephen Crichton to make his mark at fullback.
While the two sides will almost certainly face each other again in a qualifying final next month, Penrith showed they loom as a title challenger to defending premiers Melbourne after their first game at anywhere near full strength since June.
And it was Nathan Cleary who had his fingerprints all over it, creating something out of nothing for the Panthers' first points.
The halfback put on a two-man cut-out ball for Kurt Capewell, before winger Paul Momirovski kicked back in field for Cleary to score.
Momirovski's boot had Penrith back to 12-10 down on halftime, when he got cramped for space on the right before a shallow chip helped Crichton score.
Then it was Cleary's kicking game that was the difference in the second half.
The Panthers No.7 kept Penrith locked in on the Rabbitohs' line, with a Tom Burgess high tackle allowing Cleary to kick the Panthers level.
Moments later they found themselves in the lead when Mark Nicholls was pinged for a downtown penalty, letting Cleary kick Penrith two clear.
And after Matt Burton put winger Brent Naden over unmarked, it was a Cleary field goal from 20m out that wrapped up the game before a late Api Koroisau try.
The result means South Sydney will enter the finals without a win over either the Panthers or Melbourne this season.
While they conceded 50 against both those sides earlier this year, Friday night at Suncorp Stadium at least showed how far they have come.
But at the same, they still have some way to go
Their first try came after an Edwards error and their second through Latrell Mitchell was after a perfect Adam Reynolds 40-20, but they lacked the impetus in the second half.
Playmaker Cody Walker was unable to make the same impact he has in the past three months, while none of their forward ran 100 metres.
They also ended the night with Keaon Koloamatangi on report, potentially in trouble for a crusher tackle on Naden.
