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A Manly side stumbling from injury crisis to injury crisis must pick itself up off the canvas for a Lottoland date with the resurgent Warriors.

The Sea Eagles saw Dylan Walker, Brad Parker and Curtis Sironen added to an overworked injury ward after their 42-12 hammering at the hands of competition leaders Penrith saw them slip out of the top eight.

Gun fullback Tom Trbojevic is at least another two rounds from returning.

The Warriors (12th) have proven a tough out in recent weeks, pushing the Roosters all the way before knocking over Wests Tigers last round for their fourth win of an extremely challenging season.

The Rundown

Team news

Sea Eagles: Curtis Sironen (knee) and Joel Thompson (ankle) were ruled out on Thursday and Manly were given an exemption by the NRL to add Toafofoa Sipley to their squad.

Haumole Olakau'atu and Corey Waddell have been elevated to the starting second row. Morgan Boyle moves in from the reserves to the interchange.

Tevita Funa replaces Brad Parker (HIA) at centre and Cade Cust is back at five-eighth for Dylan Walker (foot).

Albert Hopoate and Sipley were the last two players cut an hour before kick-off.

The Sea Eagles have won eight of their past 10 games against the Warriors.

Warriors: No late changes expected. Chanel Harris-Tavita starts at halfback following Blake Green's mid-season move to the Knights. The Warriors have not defeated the Sea Eagles in Australia since 2009.

Jack Murchie and Gerard Beale were omitted from the reserves 24 hours before kick-off. Isaiah Papali'i and Adam Keighran were cut an hour before kick-off. 

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Brendan Elliot
    Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
  • Winger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Jorge Taufua
    Winger for Warriors is number 2 Patrick Herbert
  • Centre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Tevita Funa
    Centre for Warriors is number 3 Adam Pompey
  • Centre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Mosese Suli
    Centre for Warriors is number 4 Peta Hiku
  • Winger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Reuben Garrick
    Winger for Warriors is number 5 George Jennings
  • Five-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Cade Cust
    Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Kodi Nikorima
  • Halfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Daly Cherry-Evans
    Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Chanel Harris-Tavita

Forwards

  • Prop for Sea Eagles is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
    Prop for Warriors is number 8 Jamayne Taunoa-Brown
  • Hooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Danny Levi
    Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Karl Lawton
  • Prop for Sea Eagles is number 10 Martin Taupau
    Prop for Warriors is number 10 Jack Hetherington
  • 2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 15 Corey Waddell
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Eliesa Katoa
  • 2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 18 Haumole Olakau'atu
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Tohu Harris
  • Lock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Jake Trbojevic
    Lock for Warriors is number 13 Jazz Tevaga

Interchange

  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Lachlan Croker
    Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Wayde Egan
  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Sean Keppie
    Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Adam Blair
  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 Taniela Paseka
    Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Daniel Alvaro
  • Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 20 Morgan Boyle
    Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Lachlan Burr

Match Officials

  • Referee: Henry Perenara
  • Touch Judge: Jon Stone
  • Touch Judge: Drew Oultram
  • Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy

Last updated:

Key match-up

Addin Fonua-Blake v Jamayne Taunoa-Brown: Manly's premier metre eater looms as a daunting challenge for the Warriors rookie. Taunoa-Brown has been impressive in 2020, playing all 12 games so far in his debut season and averaging around 40 minutes an outing, but having Fonua-Blake running at him will test his resilience to its limits.

The Sea Eagles prop is fourth in the NRL for post-contact metres, his 867 representing almost 50 per cent of his season total (1933). JTB has 321 tackles at an efficiency rate of 91.3 per cent and must raise the latter while adding to the former if he is to contain AFB.

Stat Attack

The Warriors must match Manly's discipline in defence if they are to give themselves a chance. They rank third in missed tackles (386) at an average of a shade over 32 per game while the Sea Eagles sit in equal 14th (306) with only the Roosters (299) having made fewer missed tackles.

Acknowledgement of Country

The New Zealand Warriors honour the mana of the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, Australia and the Pacific. We acknowledge the traditional kaitiaki of the lands, elders past and present, their stories, their traditions, their mamae and their mana motuhake.

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