Saturday’s NRL 2018 Round 18 match is between Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne Storm. The opening kick is set to commence at 17:30 local time with the game to be played at Lottoland, Sydney. The away team Melbourne Storm are the favourites for the match.

View our preview and teams for the game between Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne Storm.

When: 17:30 | Saturday 14/07/2018

Where: Lottoland, Sydney

Preview:

Their last away performance was very much a positive one for the Manly side and taking down Penrith at home is no easy feat.

Their performance this week hinges on how Daly Cherry-Evans gets through the Origin.

He’s the key for how Manly perform.

I was so glad to see DCE get back into the Origin fold and even more satisfied to see him excel in that arena.

I’ve never come across a player that has had to endure so much pressure for just playing the game.

I get the whole fact he’s paid very well but so are a lot of others in his position.

In their last outing, the Sea Eagles got the better of the home team in a fiery affair.

Traditionally that has been the case since the big brawl incident at Brookvale.

I think this one will be very much the same but I expect the Storm to redeem themselves and get the two points.

I feel their style of play with outside backs starting their sets off and the great Cameron Smith dictating where they finish will be too classy for the Eagles.

KEY BATTLE: Tom Trbojevic v Billy Slater

I’m also looking forward to the battle between the two fullbacks.

Both backing up after Origin is never easy but both so influential to their respective sides.

The Verdict

I know the Storm will have a few backing up but I think Craig Bellamy will have them primed for a special one.

Melbourne has a 21-7 (75.0 percent) record as an away team, after playing within its home state since 2015.

Unibet Odds:

Manly at $2.75

Melbourne at $1.46
Odds:

Tip: Melbourne Storm at $1.70

Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Josh Addo-Carr at $9.00

More Info:

Teams:

Manly Sea Eagles:

1 Tom Trbojevic, 2 Matthew Wright, 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, 1 13 Jake Trbojevic

Interchange: 14 Trent Hodkinson, 15 Kelepi Tanginoa, 16 Frank Winterstein, 17 Taniela Paseka

Reserves: 18 Jorge Taufua, 19 Thomas Wright, 20 Tevita Funa, 21 Toafofoa Sipley, 22 Lloyd Perrett.

Melbourne Storm:

1 Billy Slater, 2 Suliasi Vunivalu, 3 Will Chambers, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Jahrome Hughes, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 9 Cameron Smith (c), 10 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11 Felise Kaufusi, 12 Ryan Hoffman, 13 Kenny Bromwich

Interchange: 14 Brandon Smith, 15 Tim Glasby, 16 Christian Welch, 17, Joe Stimson

Reserves: 18 Cheyse Blair, 19 Tui Kamikamica, 20 Young Tonumaipea, 21 Ryley Jacks, 22 Brodie Croft, 23 Albert Vete.

NRL News:

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy faces a selection dilemma after his three halfback candidates played starring roles to help bring down the NRL pacesetters.

Jahrome Hughes, Ryley Jacks and Brodie Croft have each worn the Storm number seven at various stages this season but all three thrived in Thursday’s 52-30 victory over St George Illawarra.

Jacks filled the five-eighth role with Cameron Munster on representative duty while Croft was a late inclusion at halfback with Hughes shifting to fullback.

With former Queensland captain Cameron Smith steering the ship, Melbourne’s collection of young halves impressed against the Dragons, leaving Bellamy with a tough decision to make ahead of next weekend’s away clash with arch rivals Manly.

Bellamy was full of praise for his young pivots following the 14-try shootout at AAMI Park.

“Jahrome was tremendous, I thought Jacksy did a really good job and when Brodie ran the ball, he was hard to handle,” Bellamy said.

Both Hughes and Jacks found the tryline as the Storm piled on 24 points in the final 15 minutes while Croft’s 21st-minute effort, side-stepping off both feet to blow past defenders on his way to score, was one of the highlights of an even first half.

“You’d like to be able to pick them all next week but we can’t do that, depending on whether (Cameron) Munster plays or not after Origin.”

Bellamy described the high-scoring affair as “a game of cricket” compared to last week’s gritty 9-8 win over the Roosters in Adelaide, with both coaches expressing disappointment with their respective efforts in defence.

The Dragons had strung together three wins in a row during the busy Origin period but couldn’t contain the Storm in the final 15 minutes.

Already missing four New South Wales forwards, their cause wasn’t helped with 21-year-old backrower Jacob Host dislocating his shoulder in the fifth minute.

James Graham also left the field for a head injury assessment in the 60th minute and did not return.

But coach Paul McGregor was not prepared to reach for excuses for the Dragon’s late fadeout.

“These blokes have been preparing and waiting for that opportunity for a long time,” McGregor said.

“That’s when everyone needs to be able to be a little bit better and we weren’t,” McGregor said.

St George Illawarra started the night in top spot but the 22-point defeat will allow South Sydney (bye) to move ahead of them on percentage with the Storm also breathing down their neck in third.