South Sydney centre Beau Champion fears the Rabbitohs' inability to close out games earlier in the season may come back to haunt them.

Souths sit in ninth spot on the NRL ladder, two points behind eighth-placed Brisbane after losing to Melbourne 18-16, on Sunday.

The defeat was the sixth game John Lang's side have lost by four points or less this season.

Champion, who is set to return to action against Penrith on Friday after missing the last two games due to a knee injury, warned they need to rediscover their ruthless streak in their last three games, starting with the Panthers at CUA Stadium.

"These last three games are going to be like finals, and we have to win them, it's as simple as that," Champion told AAP.

"We are playing teams who are around us like Penrith and Parramatta which is good because we can take points off them which would improve our position and hurt them.

"We played Penrith earlier in the season and got the points so we can go into the game with a lot of confidence."

Season-ending injuries to key players such as David Taylor and John Sutton have hurt the Rabbitohs, but Champion said that should not mask the team failings.

"We can look at injuries to key players but we have to say that we have lost games we should have won this season," he said.

"We should be sitting a lot higher on the ladder than what we are.

"We had the game won in round two against the Titans, we threw it away against Manly at Brookvale and against the Dragons we didn't close the game out.

"Had we won all those we would be comfortably in the eight, but the good thing is that it is still in our hands and if we win our next three we will be fine.

"In previous seasons our season has been over at this stage, but we have three games to go and we are still in with a shout and that is how we are looking at the next couple of weeks."

Backrower Sam Burgess echoed Champion's comments about closing games out, but denied missing the finals is a sign the side has underachieved.

"I would say it would be more disappointing than under-achieving, we are still a young side who is still learning," Burgess told AAP.

"We started a bit slow against Melbourne and you can't do that in the NRL and that cost us the game, we did well to get back in it.

"It has been so frustrating at times this season as we have lost games where we have been in front and been pipped at the post."

The England international, who has enjoyed an stellar first season in the NRL, said despite being at the club less than a year, he realises just how much a finals appearance would mean to Souths' long-suffering fans, who have tasted finals footy just once in 21 years.

"I learnt from just being around the club and the area how much it would mean to everyone," he said.

"I hope we can do it, and give them all something to really cheer about."

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