The final game of Round 21 sees the Sea Eagles fighting to keep their finals hopes alive against a Sharks side eyeing a top-four finish. With Manly forced to overcome the loss of Tom Trbojevic and Cronulla arriving in strong form after back-to-back wins, Sunday’s clash at 4 Pines Park shapes as a crucial contest for both clubs.
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Matchday Details
Sunday 26 July – 4:05pm (AEST) – 4 Pines Park, Sydney
📺 Broadcast: Nine / Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Grant Atkins | Senior Review Official: Chris Butler
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: 1. Lehi Hopoate, 2. Jason Saab, 3. Josh Feledy, 4. Reuben Garrick, 5. Tolutau Koula, 6. Joey Walsh, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Taniela Paseka, 9. Jake Simpkin, 10. Simione Laiafi, 11. Haumole Olakau’atu, 12. Ben Trbojevic, 13. Jake Trbojevic, 14. Nicholas Lenaz, 15. Nathan Brown, 16. Kobe Hetherington, 17. Ethan Bullemor, 18. Fletcher Baker, 19. Blake Wilson, 20. Onitoni Large, 21. Aaron Schoupp, 22. Zaidas Muagututia.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: 1. William Kennedy, 2. Sione Katoa, 3. Jesse Ramien, 4. KL Iro, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Braydon Trindall, 7. Nicho Hynes, 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Blayke Brailey, 10. Thomas Hazelton, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Teig Wilton, 13. Cameron McInnes, 14. Jesse Colquhoun, 15. Billy Burns, 16. Siosifa Talakai, 17. Oregon Kaufusi, 18. Hohepa Puru, 19. Tuku Hau Tapuha, 20. Mawene Hiroti, 21. Sam Stonestreet, 22. Niwhai Puru.
Match Preview
Round 21 concludes on Sunday afternoon with the stumbling Sea Eagles hosting the high-flying Sharks at 4 Pines Park. This will be the second clash of the year between the two sides, with the Sharks winning the first encounter 28-22 back in Round 13.
The Sea Eagles are ninth on the ladder and are coming off three consecutive losses, with a 38-32 loss to the Titans last week the most recent. The Sharks, on the other hand, sit in fourth and are coming off a 66-0 win over the Dolphins two weeks ago and a 20-18 win over the Knights last week.
For the Sea Eagles, they have a huge blow with Tom Trbojevic ruled out for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. Lehi Hopoate shifts to fullback in his place, with Josh Feledy returning at centre. Tolutau Koula moves to the wing. Ben Trbojevic is back after missing last week due to concussion, moving Ethan Bullemor back to the bench. Nicholas Lenaz is named to make his potential club debut in jersey 14, with Fletcher Baker and Blake Wilson the other new faces on the six-man bench.
For the Sharks, Jesse Ramien returns at centre after missing last week with illness. Addin Fonua-Blake is named in the front row despite appearing to suffer a pectoral injury last week. Siosifa Talakai and Jesse Colquhoun are back on the six-man bench.
The key for the Sea Eagles will be getting the ball to their hard-running edges while Tom Trbojevic is out. The consistency they’ve got from their two back-rowers this year has been a pillar of their good run of form and the start of ‘Fozball’. Ben Trbojevic formed a solid combination with Luke Brooks on the left edge prior to his injury. With Joey Walsh finding his feet in first grade, Ben can provide another option for the young five-eighth to test out the shaky Sharks edges. On the right edge, the plan is simple. Get the ball to Haumole Olakau’atu and wait for the line breaks, tackle busts, and offloads to create opportunities for points around him.
The key for the Sharks will be winning the forward battle and controlling the speed of the game. With the Sea Eagles boasting a big forward pack, the more they can tire out the middles, the more success they’ll have. It starts with Blayke Brailey and his running game, which creates opportunities to speed up the ruck. Off the back of that, Nicho Hynes can identify opportunities to attack on the fly, and has a habit of picking the right option when he’s given the time to do so. With no Tom Trbojevic organising the troops at the back for the Sea Eagles, expect the two of them to keep the ball in play as much as possible and create plenty of headaches for the defence.
Jason Saab has scored 11 tries in his last nine games at 4 Pines Park. The Sharks have won their last four games at 4 Pines Park.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Sharks by 8.
Full Round 21 tips → /nrl-round-21-predictions-2026/
Bold call: The Sharks win a high-scoring affair, capped off by a Nicho Hynes try in the final five minutes.
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Related
- Full Round 21 coverage → /nrl/2026-season/round-21/
- NRL Round 21 Team Lists → /nrl-round-21-team-lists-2026/
- NRL Injury List → /nrl/injuries/
