It is a very good place to be in when you can almost be assured that you will have a "second chance" in the semi finals. The Sea Eagles have this...for the moment. One loss though and it could be all over for them and they will be playing sudden death football from Week 1 of the semi finals. Yet over at Newcastle, the Knights have been playing sudden death football for some time now. They possess a squad with a fair bit of talent that was struggling to adapt to the Bennett-style of football that he brought to the club. A few wins on the board and things look as though they have turned a corner and they are making a very spirited run for the semi finals. They cannot worry about any other result other than their own. They certainly do have their work cut out for them this afternoon as well. It seems to be a very tough trip for sides to make out to Brookvale Oval, but Sunday afternoon with a bumper crowd there will make it even tougher. Manly will be ensuring that there is a very hostile environment for the visitors. What it does do though is ensure a good game is ahead. Daytime football this season has been very enjoyable to watch (majority of it anyway) and when the conditions are right, a great contest can be produced. That is exactly what lies ahead here. The Knights are desperate and the Sea Eagles will take a lot of pleasure in ensuring the Knights begin planning their holidays in September.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly are looking like they are progressing very well into their season. They have suffered their fair share of injuries this season but are now back at full strength. It is a very scary sight for other sides because this side is just as good as the one that won the premiership last season. Many people are suggesting that they are the side to look out for and the first side that can go "back-to-back" since 1992. It is definitely not beyond them but they must keep playing the hard-nosed football that has a lot of other teams fearing them. This week there is no change to the side that was named in Round 23, although Steve Matai and Jason King didn't play after being named. They should make their return from injury here. That means on the extended bench, Vic Mauro and Dean Whare should drop out of the side altogether. The key to their victory over the Rabbitohs last week was not only their forward toughness, but the dominant display from their halves. They should look to replicate this here and finish off when they're in an attack position.
Newcastle Knights
Sudden death for the Knights again and after a very good display against the Sharks in MNF, the same squad has been retained. There is one subtle change though, Alex McKinnon has been promoted to the starting side at the expense of Joel Edwards who has been demoted back to the extended bench. Wayne Bennett does like to play a few mind games in the lead up to naming his side so perhaps you should not read too much into this change. One of the positive things that stuck out on MNF was the amount of confidence that their halves were playing with. They were producing a very "mature" performance that saw them steer the team around the field efficiently. That does come though after a very dominant display from their forwards. They certainly have the size up front but they are now playing with a lot of speed around the ruck that is catching opposition sides off guard. They need to ensure that this continues and that they are strong in defence against a very fiery Manly pack.
Recent History
Overall = Sea Eagles 24 - Knights 17
Last 5 games = Sea Eagles 3 - Knights 2
At Brookvale Oval = Sea Eagles 10 - Knights 2
Odds
TAB Sportsbet = Sea Eagles $1.33 Knights $3.40
Centrebet = Sea Eagles $1.35 Knights $3.30
Sportsbet = Sea Eagles $1.35 Knights $3.30
Betfair = Sea Eagles $1.36 Knights $3.70
Verdict
Brookvale Oval, Sunday afternoon footy and a fully fit squad...it is very hard to go past the Sea Eagles in this game and I am not going to either! They are the side that most teams are aiming to avoid at this point in the season and more so in the semi finals. The Knights are a side that has still yet to produce a dominating performance against a top side. In recent weeks, the games that they have lost have been against quality opposition in the Rabbitohs and Bulldogs. I still think that there is a lot of work to be done at the Knights and if they were to win, they would have to lift to another level altogether. Remember also, if the Sea Eagles lose they may put their Top 4 hopes in jeopardy.
Suggested Bet
Sea Eagles @ $1.36
Daytime covers = Sea Eagles -8.5 @ $1.90 - They should again look to produce another dominating performance and have a defensive line that can easily hold the Knights to minimal points.
Dominating display = Sea Eagles 13+ @ $2.30 - They have the team that can score a lot of points and going by what is also printed above, the defence to hold others. If they are scoring points and the other side isn't, who knows where this score could end up.
Good luck!
Scooby
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