Saturday’s NRL 2018 Round 22 match is between Manly Sea Eagles and Canterbury Bulldogs. The opening kick is set to commence at 17:30 local time with the game to be played at Lottoland, Sydney. The home team Manly Sea Eagles are the favourites for the match.

View our preview and teams for the game between Manly Sea Eagles and Canterbury Bulldogs.

When: 17:30 | Saturday 11/08/2018

Where: Lottoland, Sydney

Preview:

Before last week’s games you would have put a line through this game as it shaped up to be an ordinary match.

However, two good wins and some good footy played by both teams against stronger opposition sees this one with a bit of hope.

The style for the Dogs over the last few weeks has been impressive as they were once the worst team to watch because of their lack of attack.

I feel that the inclusion of Lachlan Lewis has provided them with some flair.

He seems to play what’s in front of him rather than the structure they used to stick to.

This has allowed his teammates to jump on board.

I think if both teams play to their potential that the home side the Eagles should win off the back of their skill.

This has obviously been a major concern if they can do that again?

KEY BATTLE: Martin Taupau v David Klemmer

Keep a close eye on the return of Klemmer up against Marty Taupau.

Both are their team’s leaders and foundations of the forward packs.

The Verdict

Hopefully this game gives us plenty to cheer about.

Manly has a 40-34 (54.1 percent) record as a home team since 2013.

Unibet Odds:

Manly Sea Eagles at $1.65

Canterbury Bulldogs at $2.25

Odds:

Tip: Manly Sea Eagles at $1.55

Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Brad Parker at $12.00

More Info:

Teams:

Manly Sea Eagles:

1 Tom Trbojevic, 2 Jorge Taufua, 3 Moses Suli, 4 Brian Kelly, 5 Bradley Parker, 6 Dylan Walker, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8 Addin Fonua-Blake, 9 Manase Fainu, 10 Martin Taupau, 11 Joel Thompson, 12 Shaun Lane, 13 Jake Trbojevic

Interchange: 14 Trent Hodkinson, 15 Kelepi Tanginoa, 16 Jack Gosiewski, 17 Taniela Paseka

Reserves: 18 Frank Winterstein, 19 Matthew Wright, 20 Thomas Wright, 21 Toafofoa Sipley.

Canterbury Bulldogs:

1 Will Hopoate, 2 Brett Morris, 3 Josh Morris, 4 Kerrod Holland, 5 Reimis Smith, 6 Lachlan Lewis, 7 Jeremy Marshall-King, 8 Aiden Tolman, 9 Michael Lichaa, 10 David Klemmer, 11 Josh Jackson (c), 12 Rhyse Martin, 13 Adam Elliott

Interchange: 14 Fa’amanu Brown, 15 Danny Fualalo, 16 Ofahiki Ogden, 17 Chris Smith

Reserves: 19 Greg Eastwood, 20 Matthew Frawley, 21 Renouf Toomaga, 23 John Olive.

NRL News:

Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan laid the blame squarely at his players – not the referees – after the Sharks’ top-four hopes took a huge dent with a 33-32 golden-point NRL loss to lowly Manly.

Rebounding from last week’s shattering collapse against Penrith, Manly secured two competition points through a left-footed field goal from skipper Daly Cherry-Evans two minutes into extra time on Sunday.

The stirring victory condemned Cronulla to a sixth straight loss to their arch-rivals on home soil and left the Sharks almost certainly needing to win their last four games to earn a double chance in the finals.

“In theory, you win your next four games, you’re a chance. But if we play like that, we’re not going to win our next four games. It’s pretty clear,” Flanagan said after watching his side concede five tries to the wooden-spoon candidates.

“We’ve just got to concentrate week to week and concentrate now on Melbourne. It’s going to be a tough game and we can’t be looking too far ahead.”

Flanagan lamented a Valentines Holmes missed penalty goal from virtually in front that could have stretched Cronulla’s six-point lead to beyond a converted try as the clock wound down at Southern Cross Group Stadium.

“Two weeks in a row (we’ve missed) penalty kicks in front,” he said.

“Maybe if we kick that goal, we go eight points ahead, it changes their mindset and we probably win the game.

“But we can’t put it down just to the goal kick.”

In a rare confession in a season of unrelenting referee beatings from NRL coaches, Flanagan refused to argue two no-try rulings against his side in the first half because of obstructions.

“The attention to detail on our behalf was poor. They were no tries to the letter of the law,” he said.

Sharks fans saw the rulings differently, booing referee Henry Perenara off after he blew 23 penalties for the match and sent Test prop Aaron Woods to the sin bin during a wild first half punctuated by stoppages.

But, fielding their strongest side of the season, the Sharks had only themselves to blame for failing to put the lowly Eagles to the sword and missing the chance to join St George Illawarra in equal fourth spot.

A Manly win looked most unlikely when star fullback Valentine Holmes sliced open the Sea Eagles’ defence in the fourth minute to collect his 18th try of the season to join Paul Gallen as the equal-sixth top try-scorer in Cronulla’s 52-year history.

But three quickfire tries gave the visitors a 20-18 halftime lead, which they extended to eight points almost immediately after the resumption.

Cronulla appeared to have escaped defeat, though, when Matt Moylan stepped his way over to regain the lead for his side before a Joel Thompson try, then Cherry-Evans’ field goal sunk the Sharks.