Match Preview: NRL Round 18 vs Eels

Author: Manly Media
Timestamp: Wed 1 Jul 2026, 04:41 PM

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles head to CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon to face the Parramatta Eels in Round 18 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.

Round 18 - Round 18 - Sunday 5 Jul

4:00 am

Eels

Sea Eagles

Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney

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For the Sea Eagles this is a game with more than just two points up for grabs. It’s a chance for Manly to claim its 1000th victory since entering the competition in 1947 – a nice moment in time as the Club celebrates its 80th anniversary season.

By comparison, for the history buffs, the Eels also entered the NSWRL competition in 1947 and are sitting on 840 wins.

The Sea Eagles will be without Olakau'atu who bagged a double against the Storm in Round 17

The Sea Eagles head into this one off the back of an impressive 30-4 victory over the Storm last weekend. It was the team’s fifth win in a row on home soil, a streak that started with a 33-18 victory over the Eels at 4 Pines Park in Round 8.

That game saw Manly run in six tries, scored by six different players, all of whom are in the starting team on Sunday.

Saab races away to score against the Eels at 4 Pines Park in Round 8

Manly’s last two games on the road however have not gone as planned, a six-point loss to the Sharks and a golden-point loss to the Bulldogs.

The Eels would need to be near perfect from this point on if they are any chance of making the finals. A five and ten win-loss record sees the blue and golds sitting third from bottom on the ladder and eight points adrift of Manly.

The Eels are minus Mitch Moses who was disappointing against the Rabbitohs in Round 17

They suffered a 32-12 loss to Souths last Thursday at CommBank after seeing off the Raiders 15-12, also at home, in Round 15. Prior to that were narrow losses to the Bulldogs and the Knights.

In team news, quite a few changes for the Sea Eagles following a season-ending injury to Luke Brooks and the selection of Haumole Olakau’atu and Tolu Koula in the NSW squad for Origin III. Joey Walsh slots into five-eighth for Brooks, Corey Waddell returns from a pec injury for Olakau’atu, while Reuben Garrick and Clayton Faulalo return to the side in the centres. Also back on deck is Kobe Hetherington who sat out last weekend following a head knock.

The Eels are missing NSW five-eighth Mitchell Moses but other than that it’s pretty much the same lineup that played the Rabbitohs. Jonah Pezet comes in for his first NRL game since Round 5, taking over at halfback for Moses.

Round 18 - Round 18 - Sunday 5 Jul

4:00 am

Eels

Sea Eagles

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Eels is number 1 Isaiah Iongi

Fullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Tom Trbojevic
Winger for Eels is number 2 Brian Kelly

Winger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Jason Saab
Centre for Eels is number 3 Jordan Samrani

Centre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Clayton Faulalo
Centre for Eels is number 4 Sean Russell

Centre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Reuben Garrick
Winger for Eels is number 5 Josh Addo-Carr

Winger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Lehi Hopoate
Five-Eighth for Eels is number 6 Ronald Volkman

Five-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Joey Walsh
Halfback for Eels is number 7 Jonah Pezet

Halfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Jamal Fogarty

Forwards

Prop for Eels is number 8 Luca Moretti

Prop for Sea Eagles is number 8 Taniela Paseka
Hooker for Eels is number 9 Tallyn Da Silva

Hooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Jake Simpkin
Prop for Eels is number 10 Jack Williams

Prop for Sea Eagles is number 10 Kobe Hetherington
2nd Row for Eels is number 11 Kelma Tuilagi

2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Corey Waddell
2nd Row for Eels is number 12 Kitione Kautoga

2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Ben Trbojevic
Lock for Eels is number 13 Jack De Belin

Lock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Jake Trbojevic

Interchange

Interchange for Eels is number 14 Dylan Walker

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Josh Feledy
Interchange for Eels is number 15 Sam Tuivaiti

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Nathan Brown
Interchange for Eels is number 16 Teancum Brown

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 16 Ethan Bullemor
Interchange for Eels is number 17 Harrison Edwards

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 Simione Laiafi
Interchange for Eels is number 18 Joash Papalii

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 18 Aaron Schoupp
Interchange for Eels is number 19 Charlie Guymer

Interchange for Sea Eagles is number 19 Zaidas Muagututia

Reserves

Reserve for Eels is number 20 Apa Twidle

Reserve for Sea Eagles is number 20 Hugo Hart
Reserve for Eels is number 21 Ryley Smith

Reserve for Sea Eagles is number 21 Blake Wilson
Reserve for Eels is number 22 Toni Mataele

Reserve for Sea Eagles is number 22 Fletcher Baker