Sea Eagles v Storm AAMI Park
Kick Off at 6:00pm, Saturday April 25th 2015
The Sea Eagles head down to Melbourne this weekend to take on archrivals in the Melbourne Storm and looking to record just their second win of the season.
The Northern Beaches outfit have struggled for form since the start of the season and are desperate to return to winning ways against the only side they have recorded a win against in 2015.
On the other hand, the Storm have resumed usual procedures and have reunited themselves with the number one position on the ladder after an indifferent start to the year.
With absences to key men, such as Cameron Smith, in the first round of the season and Billy Slater, who has been sidelined for the last couple of weeks, many of the players outside the top three have stepped up, giving Craig Bellamy’s side some extra grit.
After losing to Manly early in the year in a nail biter at Brookvale Oval, the Storm will be even more eager for points as they look exact revenge on their rivals.
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The Sea Eagles, however, are dying for points and with the return of Kiwi international, Kieran Foran the Sea Eagles will add another dimension in attack whilst relieving some of the pressure on halfback Daly Cherry-Evans.
However, the Silvertails will still be without veteran Jamie Lyon, who sustained an injury during Manly’s loss last week to the Bulldogs, while Brett Stewart still needs to prove his fitness (groin) if he is to be any chance of a late inclusion.
Recent updates out of Melbourne suggest that they are sweating on a late fitness test to half back Cooper Cronk, who is battling the flu and Billy Slater who is still recovering from right shoulder injury. Both will be game day decisions, but it is looking likely the Storm will miss at least one of the two key men for the clash against the Sea Eagles.
It’s an unfamiliar match up between two modern rivals, but it ALWAYS lives up to the hype.
Last time they met
The last time these two squared off was back in round two with the Sea Eagles winning in a close one 24-22. Cherry-Evans was the star; playing a hand in every Sea Eagles try as the Silvertails rushed out to an early lead before just holding on the second half.
Key Match Ups
Jake Trbojevic v Jesse Bromwich
At a very early beginning to a promising NRL career, Jake Trbojevic has risen through the Manly ranks at an accelerated pace and for a third week in a row retains his spot in the run on squad. This week, however, he comes up against arguably the best forward in the game right now, Jesse Bromwich. The Kiwi international has taken his game to another level this year and it has led to NRL pundits such as Andrew Voss claiming that he has become another element of the Storm’s spine, turning them into a 'big four'. It’s another huge challenge for Trbojevic, who again will relish the chance to take on one of the best in the game.
Peta Hiku v Cameron Munster
No longer a certainty in the Stewart v Slater stakes, two stars on the rise will battle it out at the back of thier respective packs. Peta Hiku is no stranger to the number one jumper filling in for Stewart on few occasions and donning the jersey for New Zealand. This weekend he comes up against Cameron Munster, a rookie who has huge raps about him and a likely successor to Slater. The youngster cannot match the experience of Hiku but has put in strong performances against the Raiders and the Roosters. It’s a foreign match up for many fans and critics alike but none the less an exotic clash, which will is nice look to the future.
Grab your tickets for our next home game when we take on the Knights!
