NRL Round 21 Manly Warringah Sea Ealges v NZ Warriors Preview

Before you even consider a home ground advantage, remember that this game is being played on the western coast of Australia, in Perth. It is a great initiative by the Sea Eagles although they have borrowed the idea off a few other clubs who have taken their games elsewhere in the country. It is a great money spinner and could generate some support for their team in another part of the country. With a Perth expansion team a hot topic in years to come, a good crowd here could give them a case to build upon. No matter where this game is played, it is going to be a good spectacle. This game is another important clash this weekend that fans of other teams will be watching as it can give some indication to the make up of the Top 8. Manly are currently in 7th place on 24 points and are 4 points ahead of the Warriors who are in 9th on 20 points. If the Warriors win here, not only could they creep into the 8, but they have the opportunity to take away 2 points from a team that sits above them. That is the situation that lies ahead of the Warriors. They must win games and only worry about the factors that they can control. Most importantly, they must play with consistency. If you look at their first half against the Knights, you thought that they would do it easily. But they had 24 unanswered points scored against them and the Knights kept them scoreless in the second half. It was definitely not a performance that you would expect from a team pushing for the finals. A lot more than a game of rugby league was lost in that game. Manly were also last start losers at home to a very good Bulldogs team that has everything working for them at the moment. But they were adequate in defeat and still have a few players to return from injury. They have a strong bench and should be sitting far higher than 7th on the table. It is all in front of them now and like the Warriors, they should only worry about factors that they can effect. It should be a high quality game with two teams desperate for a win that gives them momentum pushing towards the finals. 

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Having gone down at home to the top side in the competition, the Sea Eagles can certainly take away a few positives. It gave them a good look at a possible semi final opponent and it also allowed a few of their stars who are returning from injury to freshen up. It is no surprise with a few players returning from injury that coach Geoff Toovey has gone with the same team as last week. They have however, named an extended bench that has two players to be omitted from it prior to kick off. There is also a note to mention that Brett Stewart is very close to a return from injury and he did travel with the team across to Perth. In saying that though, this is also a promotion for the Manly club, so perhaps he has travelled across just to help with the promotion for the club and not a hint towards him taking the field. They certainly have the firepower coming off the bench in this clash that can easily maintain the intensity set early in this game.


NZ Warriors

The Warriors have unfortunately lost their captain Simon Mannering for this game due to injury. It should be mentioned that this will be the first game that he has missed in two years and is certainly a rock of the Warriors defence and team altogether. Winger Manu Vatuvei will assume the captaincy. Ben Henry shifts from the centres to the second row and Lewis Brown comes off the bench to start in the centres. That allows an extended bench to be named that features the new faces of Pita Godinet and Sebastine Ikahihifo. Their coach Brian McClennan admitted last week that after the loss to the Knights, he was to blame for getting their interchanges mixed up and not maintaining the right intensity to win a match. Fair call, but at the end of the day the coach should name a team that is strong enough to play for the entire match. Some responsibility has to fall on the players on the field at the time.


Recent History
Overall = Sea Eagles 15 - Warriors 7
Last 5 games = Sea Eagles 5 - Warriors 0
At Patersons Stadium = Never played here before

Odds

TAB Sportsbet = Sea Eagles $1.50 Warriors $2.65
Centrebet = Sea Eagles $1.52 Warriors $2.60
Sportsbet = Sea Eagles $1.48 Warriors $2.70
Betfair = Sea Eagles $1.53 Warriors $2.70


Verdict
Both teams have their pride and their Top 8 hopes on the line, the Warriors more than the Sea Eagles but they would still not want to drop points here. They are also two teams that suffered last start losses at home. So which team is better suited to bouncing back? We will know by the end of fulltime but you need to look at the facts. The Sea Eagles have a team which is capable of playing consistent football and the Warriors don't. They have at times but are too volatile to invest money on in this clash. The Sea Eagles players will also beginning to get more "match-fit" and having representative players at this level can be dangerous. But can you ever count out the Warriors completely? Definitely not. But they would have to lift considerably to win this match.

Suggested Bet
Manly @ $1.53 (with Betfair)


Line value = Manly - 2.5 @ $1.85 - It is very surprising to see a small line for a game where Manly are shorter to win the match 13+ then they are 1-12. This line would be good value if you were looking for a little more value than the suggested bet.


Go one step further = Tri Bet Manly Over 6.5 points @ $2 - They're even better value at this option. I am reluctant to pick a margin given the Warriors ability to score points but this leads one closer to picking one. You can just see this option as a -6.5 line more than anything.


Good luck!
Scooby
@scoobystips