Matchday Details
Sunday, 26th April – 4:05pm (AEST) – 4 Pines Park, Sydney
📺 Broadcast: Nine / Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Peter Gough | Senior Review Official: Grant Atkins
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: 1. Tolutau Koula, 2. Jason Saab, 3. Clayton Faulalo, 4. Reuben Garrick, 5. Lehi Hopoate, 6. Luke Brooks, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Taniela Paseka, 9. Brandon Wakeham, 10. Kobe Hetherington, 11. Haumole Olakau’atu, 12. Ben Trbojevic, 13. Jake Trbojevic, 14. Jake Simpkin, 15. Corey Waddell, 16. Ethan Bullemor, 17. Siosiua Taukeiaho, 18. Simione Laiafi, 19. Josh Feledy, 20. Nathan Brown, 21. Joey Walsh, 22. Jackson Shereb
Parramatta Eels: 1. Joash Papalii, 2. Brian Kelly, 3. Will Penisini, 4. Sean Russell, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Ronald Volkman, 7. Mitchell Moses (c), 8. Luca Moretti, 9. Ryley Smith, 10. Junior Paulo, 11. Charlie Guymer, 12. Jack Williams, 13. Dylan Walker, 14. Tallyn Da Silva, 15. Saxon Pryke, 16. Toni Mataele, 17. Jack De Belin, 18. Kelma Tuilagi, 19. Lorenzo Talataina, 20. Araz Nanva, 21. Jezaiah Funa-Iuta, 22. Teancum Brown
Match Preview
Two traditional rivals, the Sea Eagles and Eels, come into this game with three wins apiece. In what looks like an extremely tight season, every win matters. This one could be a lottery, with both teams having produced inconsistent performances so far.
The home side, the Sea Eagles, have turned around a horrendous start to the season since bringing in Kieran Foran as head coach. This will be their first game back at home since Round 4, which completed a trifecta of poor performances in front of their home fans and spelled the end of Anthony Seibold’s tenure. Finally back at home, they will be hoping to give their fans something to cheer about.
Meanwhile, the Eels have struggled to piece together any real consistency. Certainly, facing the biggest injury toll in the NRL has not helped; however, it has not excused their poor attitude in defence. They took a positive step forward last week, producing a performance that saw them convincingly beat a much stronger Bulldogs side and instilling confidence in their younger players that they can get the job done.
Tolu Koula takes the injured Tom Trbojevic’s spot at fullback, which also means Clayton Faulalo moves into the centres. Two new faces on the six-man bench, Josh Feledy and Simione Laiafi, complete the home side’s changes. Meanwhile, the Eels welcome back Sean Russell, which sees Araz Nanva revert to the reserves. Kelma Tuilagi has been named on the bench, while Charlie Guymer has retained a starting second-row spot after some inspired performances.
The Sea Eagles will be backing a much bigger, more experienced forward pack to lead the way. The likes of Taniela Paseka and Haumole Olakau’atu should see the opportunity to run over a much less experienced forward pack and take it with both hands. For the Eels, Junior Paulo led the way last week, alongside some inspired performances from younger players such as Saxon Pryke. However, the question will be how long they can hold up. Inevitably, inexperience will reveal itself, regardless of effort.
In the halves, the Eels could be said to have the edge on paper, if only because of the presence of Mitchell Moses. Last week was his best game of the season. It has been a slow start for the Origin representative, so fans were relieved to see him kick for more than 700 metres. His boot will play a big role in off-setting any issues caused by his younger forwards if they struggle through a set.
All eyes will be on how Koula handles the fullback position. It goes without saying that he should not find it too difficult, having shown himself to be a genuine superstar in the making in recent weeks. The Eels have the worst defence in the competition this year, having found it difficult to scramble after line breaks and cover space. Last week was a huge improvement, and they still conceded 20 points. That remains their concern: if Manly’s dangerous backs find space, points will come quickly.
Manly have won 90 of their 153 encounters with Parramatta, with 48 of those victories coming at 4 Pines Park. This could be a tight and unpredictable game; however, the motivation to perform in front of their home fans should get the Sea Eagles home.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Sea Eagles by 1
Bold call: Jamal Fogarty to slot a field goal in the dying minutes.
Related
- NRL Round 8 Predictions
- NRL Round 8 Team Lists
- NRL Round 8 Hub
- NRL Injury List
- NRL Match Review Tracker
