Both of these sides are coming off demoralising losses in Round 19, and there is no doubt they will be eager to make amends.
The Sea Eagles have been at sixes and sevens of late and have nothing to play for but pride in their run home.
The Panthers, on the other hand, have far more to play for this week and must find a way out of their mid-season slump.
After conceding 50 points against the Broncos, coach Anthony Griffin will have put his players on notice for the first time this year, in a move guaranteed to rouse Panthers players back to their best.
Unfortunately for Manly fans, their team has been put on notice one too many times by Trent Barrett this season, so the value of any honesty session would be significantly diminished at Brookvale.
On paper, the Panthers look far too strong for the Sea Eagles. Having conceded 7 fewer points per game than Manly, Penrith and will see their solid defence as the key to success.
Look for Manly to be competitive in the first half, but once Penrith gets on top, they'll run away with it in what's expected to be a high scoring game.
J Tafua (Sea Eagles), D Walker (Sea Eagles), K Tanginoa (Sea Eagles), D Watene-Zelezniak (Panthers), T May (Panthers)
M Wright (Sea Eagles), T Wright (Sea Eagles), T Sipley (Sea Eagles) C Crichton (Panthers), J Luai (Panthers)
Fine and 16 degrees.
Key NRL stats
Average points scored: Sea Eagles 19.7 / Panthers 21.2
Average points conceded: Sea Eagles 24.7 / Panthers 17.7
Of the 3 afternoon games played at Lottoland this season, the average points scored is 61.3 per game
Key NRL Betting Stats
The Panthers average winning margin in 2018 is 14 points: Panthers to win by 13+ @ $2.70
Manly have won only 3 of 9 at home this season: Panthers to win head-to-head @ $1.50
Clashes at Lottoland Oval have averaged 46.7 total match points: 'Over' match line of 42.5 points @ $1.90
NRL Betting Tip: Panthers to cover the line (-5.5) / Total match points over 42.5 points @$3.70
Reasoning: The Panthers will be fired up and can't afford to lose this one.
Both teams will throw everything at each other in the first 20 minutes, but once the Panthers break clear, they'll be looking to put plenty of points on a Sea Eagles side that will lose interest very quickly.
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The Bunnies' nine-game winning streak came to an end last week following a poor performance against the Tigers.
It was the only game this season that Souths haven't put double digits on the scoreboard, and it dropped them to third on the ladder.
Coach Anthony Seibold would have spent plenty of time this week looking for a solution to the Rabbitohs' attacking woes.
With Greg Inglis still on the sidelines and the Bunnies' attacking structures now exposed, the rookie coach will be under pressure to find a solution quick smart.
But Souths fans won't be too concerned as the Eels have hardly set the world on fire.
With only four wins this season, it's unlikely the Eels will pose much of a threat.
The Eels did enough to get the two points against a dismal Bulldogs outfit last week in what was a dour performance from both teams.
Once again the Eels will be looking to Nathan Brown to lead from the front. Brown ran for a game-high 249m last week, in an effort that earnt him man-of-the-match honours.
D Gower (Eels)
G Jennings (Eels)
Fine and 14 degrees.
Key NRL stats
Average points scored per game: Rabbitohs 23.9 / Eels 14.8
Average points conceded per game: Rabbitohs 17.1 / Eels 22.2
The Eels have won 3 of their last 4 clashes with the Bunnies
Key NRL Betting Stats
Souths have covered the line at an impressive 66.7% in 2018: Souths to cover the line (-11.5) @ $1.90
Combined Souths and Parramatta have a record of 61.1% in under total match points this season
Clashes at ANZ Stadium have averaged 33.9 total match points: 'Under' total match points line of 44.5 points @ $1.90
NRL Betting Tip: No Bet
Reasoning: Souths should bounce back with a win against the Eels. The bookies have nailed the line here, and the betting opportunities look slim.
Melbourne head home to AAMI stadium this week off the back of an impressive performance in New Zealand.
The last time they tasted defeat was in round 11 when they went down to Manly at home, however they were without suspended captain Cameron Smith on that occasion.
Early in the year, Smith made a huge sacrifice when stepping down from State of Origin to focus on club footy. This move has paid huge huge dividends for Melbourne.
Last week the Raiders were dealt an ugly blow. On the receiving end of some awful refereeing decisions, they suffered a deflating loss to the Sharks that all but signalled an end to their finals hopes.
Coach Ricky Stuart will need to produce a miracle this week to make sure his chargers are up for this game. How long the Raiders stay in the contest is the big question.
Melbourne have the minor premiership to play for so look for them to pile on the points late in the game in an attempt to boost to their for and against advantage.
J Tapine (Raiders)
J Murchie (Raiders)
Fine and 15 degrees.
Key NRL stats
Average points scored: Storm15.9 / Raiders 15.8
Average points conceded: Storm 20.8 / Raiders 17.6
The Storm have won 4 of their last 5 clashes with the Raiders
Key NRL Betting Stats
9 of the Storms 13 wins have been by a margin of 13+ - Storm to win 13+ @ $2.25
Games involving the Raiders have averaged 46.6 points this season
Clashes at AAMI Park have averaged 47.7 total match points: 'Over' total match point line of 41.5 points @ $1.90
NRL Betting Tip:'Over' total match points of 41.5 points@ $1.90
Reasoning: The bookies have the odds for this game spot on.
Expect Melbourne to come away with the two points here, however the Raiders have plenty of strike power to worry top-eight teams.
The winning margin will rest in the hands of the Raiders' unpredictable defence. With two of the best attacking teams going head-to-head, expect a high scoring affair.