ELMO Match Preview: Sea Eagles vs Eels

Author: Wayne Cousins
Timestamp: Thu 12 Aug 2021, 01:23 PM

Another chapter will be written this Saturday night in the fierce rivalry between the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Parramatta Eels.

And when you throw in the chance of securing a top four position, this round 22 match at Sunshine Coast Stadium is going to be another classic encounter between these two proud clubs.

Kick-off is 7.35pm. Tickets available here

The rivalry begins

With both clubs entering the 1947 NSWRL competition together, it was Manly who got the first bragging rights.

After losing their first seven matches, Manly beat Parramatta 15-7 on May 31, 1947, to record their first historic win in the NSWRL in front of a crowd of 3200 at Brookvale Oval.

The end of the season saw Parramatta claim the wooden spoon with Manly recording four victories.

Both clubs have since won 12 first grade premierships between them, and fought out three first grand finals. The Sea Eagles beat the Eels to win the 1976 premiership.

Saturday's match is the 156th game between the two clubs with Manly winning 93 matches with five draws.

It's Bokarina time

Sunshine Coast Stadium is a state of the art facility located in a sports and events precinct in Bokarina.

The Eels match will be the second time the Sea Eagles have played at the stadium which backs on to Lake Kawana.

Plenty of passionate Manly members and fans have already purchased their tickets for this blockbuster to show their support for the Sea Eagles.

Team changes

The Sea Eagles go into the match missing hard working props Taniela Paseka (ankle injury) and Toff Sipley (suspended).

Josh Aloiai will join Martin Taupau in the front-row with the aggressive Kurt De Luis and the experienced Curtis Sironen on the interchange bench.

The final team will be announced at 6.35pm on Saturday night.

Round 22 - Round 22 - Saturday 14 Aug

Full Time

Sea Eagles

Eels

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Tom Trbojevic

Fullback for Eels is number 1 Clinton Gutherson
Winger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Jason Saab

Winger for Eels is number 2 Maika Sivo
Centre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Brad Parker

Centre for Eels is number 3 Tom Opacic
Centre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Morgan Harper

Centre for Eels is number 4 Waqa Blake
Winger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Reuben Garrick

Winger for Eels is number 5 Michael Oldfield
Five-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Kieran Foran

Five-Eighth for Eels is number 6 Dylan Brown
Halfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Daly Cherry-Evans

Halfback for Eels is number 7 Mitchell Moses

Forwards

Prop for Sea Eagles is number 10 Martin Taupau

Prop for Eels is number 8 Isaiah Papali'i
Hooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Lachlan Croker

Hooker for Eels is number 9 Joey Lussick
Prop for Sea Eagles is number 17 Kurt De Luis

Prop for Eels is number 10 Junior Paulo
2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Haumole Olakau'atu

2nd Row for Eels is number 11 Shaun Lane
2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Josh Schuster

2nd Row for Eels is number 12 Ryan Matterson
Lock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Jake Trbojevic

Lock for Eels is number 13 Nathan Brown

Interchange

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 8 Josh Aloiai

Interchange for Eels is number 14 Will Smith
Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Dylan Walker

Interchange for Eels is number 15 Bryce Cartwright
Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Karl Lawton

Interchange for Eels is number 16 Marata Niukore
Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Curtis Sironen

Interchange for Eels is number 17 Makahesi Makatoa

Reserves

Reserve for Sea Eagles is number 18 Mosese Suli

Reserve for Eels is number 18 Ray Stone

Match Officials

Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judge: Matt Noyen
Touch Judge: Jon Stone
Senior Review Official: Ashley Klein

Last updated: 6/3/2024 4:47:09 AM

Ladder

A victory by the sixth-placed Sea Eagles will see them join the fourth-placed Eels on 28 competition with three games remaining before the finals.

The Eels (161) have a two points better differential to Manly (159) but both sides enter the round with a much points differential than the fifth-placed Roosters (140) on 28 points.

The Roosters play the lowly placed Brisbane Broncos on Friday night.

Form

With three wins from their past four matches, the Sea Eagles will be determined to tighten a few areas from last week's gallant 28-18 loss to competition leaders Melbourne Storm.

The Eels go in on the back of a three-game losing streak, including a last start 40-12 loss to third-placed South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Throw in a 28-0 loss to the Sydney Roosters the week before and Parramatta have conceded 68 points in their last two games.

The last five

The Sea Eagles have won three of their past five games against the Eels, including the last two.

The last time the two teams met was in May when Manly ran in five tries to one in an impressive 28-6 win at Bankwest Stadium.

Centre Brad Parker scored two tries with Karl Lawton, Reuben Garrick and Tom Trbojevic also crossing for four pointers. Garrick kicked four from five goals in a match that saw the Sea Eagles lead 16-6 at half-time.

Quick facts

- Jason Saab sits third, Tom Trbojevic fourth, and Reuben Garrick fifth on the NRL leaderboard for most tries with 19, 18, and 17 respectively.

- Garrick is sixth and Martin Taupau eighth on the most metres gained leaderboard with 3082m and 2917m respectively.

- Garrick is first on the points leader board with 240.He sits second on the most goals leaderboard with 86.

- Lachlan Croker is seventh on the tackles leaderboard with 777.

A Daly Milestone

Inspirational Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans will join current Coach Des Hasler on 255 games for most games played for Manly.

Hasler won two premierships as a Manly player before becoming one of the Club’s greatest coaches.

The brilliant Cliff Lyons, a Hall of Fame Member, holds the record for Manly with 309 first grade games.

Records await

Reuben Garrick needs just three points to move into second place on the records list for ‘Most Points in a Season’ for Manly.

Garrick is on 240 points in fourth place behind the 242 points records of Graham Eadie (set in 1975) and Jamie Lyon (2013).

He is on track to pass the club record of 257 points held by former Kiwi international Matthew Ridge in 1995.

Rugby league tries went from being worth three points a game to four points in 1983.

Exciting Manly winger Jason Saab needs two more tries to enter his name into the Sea Eagles record books for Most Tries in a Season.

Saab has crossed for 19 tries in 20 games in his first season at Manly with his electrifying pace bringing plenty of joy to the Sea Eagles.

Should he score two against the Eels, he will join Bob Fulton (1976), John Hopoate (1995), Scott Donald (2003) and Brett Stewart (2006) on the list of players to have scored 21 tries in a season for Manly.

The brilliant Phil Blake holds the record of most tries in a season with 27 set in 1983.

Biggest wins

Manly fans were very jubilant on this particular Sunday afternoon at Brookvale after a thumping 54-0 win over the Eels in round two of the 2018 season.

Leading 30-0 lead at half-time, Manly scored nine tries with second-rower Curtis Sironen leading the way with two.

Cherry-Evans finished the game with 22 points through a try and nine goals.

Parramatta’s biggest ever win over Manly was a 52-12 victory at Parramatta Stadium in round 14 of the 2004 season.