Barges over... Adam Woolnough scores a try for the Panthers. (Getty Images: Matt King)

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The Penrith Panthers warned off a spirited second-half showing by South Sydney to register their first points of the season with a tight 26-22 win at CUA Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

While the Panthers shrugged off their early season jitters in front of their home fans, the Rabbitohs were reduced to their third consecutive loss with injuries to Roy Asotasi and livewire Isaac Luke compounding the damage.

Penrith jumped to a healthy 22-6 half-time lead after Panthers centre Brad Tighe grabbed two tries in almost identical fashion thanks to some nifty passing by Frank Pritchard and lazy slide defence by the Rabbitohs.

But running with the breeze in the second 40 and marshalled by makeshift five-eighth John Sutton, Souths hit back with three unanswered tries but could not manufacture a match-winner as two penalty goals to Penrith was enough to see them home.

The Rabbits looked like erasing a horrid start to the game after the break, Sutton sparking the rampage after waltzing to the tryline five minutes after the restart.

Heavy defence... Petero Civoniceva is rattled by the Rabbitohs. (Getty Images: Matt King)

Thirteen minutes later Michael Greenfield scored when his sneaky grubber rebounded of the post for him to pick up and dive over the line.

Dominating possession, Souths then reduced the margin to four when a miraculous behind-the-line off-load by Sutton handed Dean Widders a try out wide with eight minutes on the clock, but that was as close as Souths came.

The win could have been the Rabbits' had half-back Ben Roger held possession after forcing his way over the line in the 62nd minute.

But Souths had only their flimsy first-half defence to blame, letting the Panthers in for three tries in the opening 23 minutes.

Loose ball... Shannon Hegarty tries to regather after knocking on. (Getty Images: Matt King)

After Tighe's quick double, Maurice Blair pounced on some scrappy work in the in-goal by Germaine Paulson after a Jarrod Sammut chip, the video referee adjudging the Penrith five-eight did enough to ground the ball.

Souths hit back with about 10 minutes later when Fetuli Talanoa ran onto a great midfield off-load to skirt 45 metres to score under the posts.

But just as quickly, Penrith prop Adam Woolnough bulldozed his way over some more feeble Rabbitohs defence with five remaining in the half.

Panthers: 26 (B Tighe 2, M Blair, A Woolnough tries; J Sammut 3 conversions; Sammut 2 penalties)

Rabbitohs: 22 (F Talanoa, J Sutton, M Greenfield, D Widders tries; I Luke 2, G Ndaira conversions)