Only two rounds remain for Manly to keep their slim finals hopes alive, and anything less than a win over the Dragons could bring their season to an end. The Sea Eagles enter the clash fresh from a morale-boosting upset of Newcastle, while St George Illawarra are playing for pride after officially claiming the wooden spoon. With plenty on the line for Manly and several young Dragons looking to impress, expect an entertaining contest at 4 Pines Park.

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Matchday Details

28th of August 2026 – 6:00PM – 4 Pines Park
📺 Broadcast: Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Nick Pelgrave | Senior Review Official: Adam Gee

Sea Eagles:  1. Tom Trbojevic (c), 2. Jason Saab, 3. Josh Feledy, 4. Reuben Garrick, 5. Lehi Hopoate, 6. Clayton Faulalo, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Simione Laiafi, 9. Brandon Wakeham, 10. Nathan Brown, 11. Haumole Olakau’atu, 12. Ben Trbojevic, 13. Jake Trbojevic, 14. Jake Simpkin, 15. Nicholas Lenaz, 16. Corey Waddell, 17. Caleb Navale, 18. Onitoni Large, 19. Fletcher Baker, 20. Blake Wilson, 21. Jackson Shereb, 22. Hugo Hart

Dragons:  1. Daniel Atkinson, 2. Mathew Feagai, 3. Moses Suli, 4. Valentine Holmes, 5. Tyrell Sloan, 6. Lyhkan King-Togia, 7. Kyle Flanagan, 8. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga, 9. Damien Cook (c), 10. Toby Couchman, 11. Dylan Egan, 12. Hamish Stewart, 13. Ryan Couchman, 14. Connor Muhleisen, 15. Josh Kerr, 16. Jacob Halangahu, 17. Jacob Webster, 18. Blake Lawrie, 19. Setu Tu, 20. Luciano Leilua, 21. Kade Reed, 22. Ryan Hutchinson

Match Preview

Fozball isn’t quite dead yet as the Sea-Eagles still have the slimmest of chances to play finals in season 2026 but will be relying on multiple results to go their way, while the Dragons had a poor loss over the weekend which sees them take out the prestigious award of the wooden spoon.

The Dragons will officially win their first wooden spoon in their 105 year history after their 44-14 loss to the Bulldogs last Saturday. Although statistically the Dragons could pull themselves up from the bottom if the Titans lose both of their remaining games by 66 points which unfortunately will most likely never happen.

Meanwhile, the Manly Sea Eagles pulled off a major upset on Old Boys Day, defeating a strong Newcastle Knights side 44-24 to keep their last-ditch finals hopes alive. Manly will first need to get past the Dragons, while also relying on either the Cowboys and Rabbitohs both losing, or at the very least, one of the two teams losing.

This promises to be an intriguing clash for both sets of fans, with Manly needing a win to keep their finals dream alive while also relying on results elsewhere to go their way. For the Dragons, the pressure is off, but they’ll be determined to finish the season on a high, playing for pride and building some valuable momentum ahead of what could be a promising 2027 campaign.

The Manly Sea Eagles will be without their speedster and tackle breaker Tolu Koula with the hat-trick hero of Saturday, Josh Feledy filling his spot with Debutant Onitoni Large being added to the six-man bench.

Meanwhile, the Dragons will be without Jacob Liddle after he suffered a calf injury in last weekends game, which means Damien Cook slides into the nine with Connor Muhleisen named at the 14 and looks set to play his first game since Round 27, 2024.

The four edge backrowers have been crucial to their respective sides this season, with all four enjoying some of the best football of their careers. For the Dragons, young second-rowers Dylan Egan and Hamish Stewart have been a bright spot in what has been a challenging season, providing plenty of energy and impact on the edges.

For Manly, the wrecking-ball combination of Haumole Olakau’atu and Ben Trbojevic has been a major weapon for Kieran Foran’s side. Their size, strength and work rate have made them extremely difficult for opposition teams to handle throughout the season.

Firstly, Dragons young gun Stewart has received plenty of praise for his work ethic, leadership and incredible ability to break through the line. His performances have caught the attention of Dragons staff and former legends of the game, with many seeing him as a potential future captain of not only the Dragons but possibly even NSW.

Stewart has enjoyed an impressive season, scoring five tries, making 24 tackle breaks and recording an outstanding 95% tackle efficiency.

The same can be said for the wrecking ball Stewart is set to come up against in Haumole Olakau’atu. Regarded as one of, if not the best second-rowers in the game, Olakau’atu has continued to elevate his game and played a key role in one of the biggest comebacks in State of Origin history for his state.

Olakau’atu has become a one-of-a-kind weapon for Manly and has seemingly gone from strength to strength under coach Foran. Leading from the front with his damaging running game, he’ll no doubt be looking to make his presence felt in this mouth-watering match-up. The powerhouse backrower has scored eight tries, averages an incredible 174 running metres per game and has broken the line 12 times this season.

Manly and St George Illawarra have met 39 times since 1999. The Dragons have the overall edge, winning 24 of those encounters, but Manly have enjoyed greater success at 4 Pines Park, winning eight of the 14 meetings played there.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Manly Sea Eagles by 14
Full Round 26 tips → /nrl-round-26-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Dragons will be up at halftime but Manly to run away with the win in the second half.

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Declan Connell

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