Sport Panthers keep Eels winless in NRL

© AAP Image/Craig Golding Tyrone Peachey of the Panthers is tackled during the Round 5 NRL match A gutsy Penrith have consigned Parramatta to their fifth straight loss at the start of the NRL season, holding on to beat them 12-6 at ANZ Stadium.

After they led 10-0 at halftime on Sunday, the Panthers held out set after set on their own line after the break to keep themselves entrenched in the competition's top four.

But it ensured the Eels would suffer their worst start to a season since 1991, leaving them alone at the bottom of the ladder and needing to become the first team since Brisbane in 1999 to recover from a 0-5 start and make the finals.

Jarryd Hayne to miss month of NRL action

Parramatta outside back Jarryd Hayne is set to miss the next three to four NRL rounds with a hip injury. Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne has been ruled out for up to a month with a hip injury.After being forced from the field in last week's loss to Cronulla, Hayne was expected to miss just two games.However coach Brad Arthur said he would be sidelined for the next three to four weeks."I think around round seven or eight," Arthur said when asked when Hayne would return.It's a big blow for the winless Eels who are already without Clint Gutherson (knee) and Bevan French (shoulder).

According to Fox Sports Lab, only five of 22 teams in the NRL era have started the season winless in their opening four games and have Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers , 4.10pm Sunday at ANZ Stadium.

NRL . Tigers hold on to keep Eels winless . Panthers in big win over Cowboys in NRL . Penrith have enjoyed a surprisingly comfortable victory over North Queensland in Townsville.

Still without Clinton Gutherson, Bevan French and Jarryd Hayne, the Eels had 37 play-the-balls inside Penrith's 20m zone but could score only one try - and even that was from a kick.

© AAP Image/Craig Golding Mitchell Moses of the Eels is tackled during the Round 5 NRL match The Eels attacking problems were foreshadowed when they couldn't crack Penrith's line while Trent Merrin was sin-binned for a professional foul early in the first half.

In contrast, the Panthers made the most of Tim Mannah's sin-binning later in the opening half, when Josh Mansour ran onto a James Maloney kick in the 21st minute to score Penrith's only try.

Two penalty goals to Maloney helped the Panthers to their halftime lead before George Jennings finally put the Eels on the board in the 42nd minute when Dylan Edwards and Mansour made a mess of a Mitchell Moses kick.

But after the Eels failed to make the most of their second-half ball, Maloney sunk a late penalty goal to leave one of the most hyped teams of the pre-season as the only winless team after five rounds.