Friday’s NRL 2018 Round 8 match is between Manly Sea Eagles and Newcastle Knights. The opening kick is set to commence at 18:00 local time with the game to be played at Lottoland. 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 Newcastle Knights.
When: 18:00 | Friday 27/04/2018
Where: Lottoland Stadium
Preview:
The Daly Cherry-Evans v Jackson Hastings saga was an ugly affair last week and Manly look like an unhappy outfit.
It’s not always the case, but often when there’s turmoil within the club, it can affect the playing group.
The Knights have to find a solution to cover the loss for close to the buy of the year Mitchell Pearce.
He’s expected to be out of the Knights team for a very lengthy time.
Huge loss and their depth will be tested.
KEY BATTLE: Tom Trbojevic v Kalyn Ponga
The young fullbacks for both teams have me licking my lips in the matchup area.
Tom Trbojevic’s comeback from injury looked to be too early and will be better for the run.
Ponga on the other hand has been electric and with his no.7 missing, I just get the feeling he’ll take his game to another level.
The Verdict
I feel being back at home and after a drubbing the Manly side had last week, they’ll bounce back at home.
Unibet Odds:
Manly Sea Eagles at $1.58
Newcastle Knights at $2.40
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Manly Sea Eagles at $1.56
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Akuila Uate at $11
More Info:
Teams:
Manly Sea Eagles:
1 Tom Trbojevic, 2 Matthew Wright, 3 Dylan Walker, 4 Brian Kelly, 5 Akuila Uate, 6 Lachlan Croker, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8 Addin Fonua-Blake, 9 Apisai Koroisau, 10 Martin Taupau, 11 Joel Thompson, 12 Jack Gosiewski, 13 Jake Trbojevic Interchange: 14 Lewis Brown, 15 Shaun Lane, 16 Lloyd Perrett, 17 Taniela Paseka Reserves: 18 Frank Winterstein, 19 Jonathan Wright, 20 Thomas Wright, 21 Toafofoa Sipley.
Newcastle Knights: 
1 Kalyn Ponga, 2 Ken Sio, 3 Sione Mata’utia, 4 Nathan Ross, 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 6 Connor Watson, 7 Jack Cogger, 8 Herman Ese’ese, 9 Slade Griffin, 10 Daniel Saifiti, 11 Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 12 Aidan Guerra (c), 13 Mitchell Barnett Interchange: 14 Jamie Buhrer (c), 15 Chris Heighington, 16 Luke Yates, 17 Jacob Saifiti Reserves: 18 Cory Denniss, 19 Josh King, 20 Brock Lamb, 21 Jacob Lillyman.
NRL News:
Manly have slugged four players with $1500 fines for their visit to a Gladstone strip club.
Three days after Cherry-Evans was fined $10,000 following a physical altercation with teammate Jackson Hastings, the club imposed fines on four more players for breaking curfew.
The club declined to name the players involved, citing welfare issues.
It came as Manly ace Tom Trbojevic threw his support behind embattled captain Cherry-Evans and defended the team’s culture and unity.
Cherry-Evans, as well as the banished Hastings, are the only players called out publicly over the incident in which players visited a strip club after being told to go back to their hotel.
The saga has some critics questioning the leadership credentials of Cherry-Evans, the playmaker the Sea Eagles staked their future on with a multi-million dollar, long-term contract after he backflipped on a lucrative deal with Gold Coast.
“We love having (Cherry-Evans) as our leader and I love playing with him week in, week out,” Trbojevic said on Tuesday.
“(It’s been) a tough few weeks for him but we know we’ll get the best of him for the rest of the year.
“When he’s playing his best footy, we’re a very good footy side.”
Manly have lost three straight matches, the rot starting with their ill-fated road trip to Gladstone where they went down to the Titans while they were on the end of a demoralising 44-10 defeat to previously winless Parramatta last weekend.
Trbojevic was one of several players denying on Tuesday there was a split in the playing group after reports some had messaged support to Hastings.
He also rejected suggestions that bullying in the form of practical jokes may have contributed to Hastings’ exile from the first-grade squad.
“We’re a very close footy team. There’s certainly no divide,” Trbojevic said.
“Everyone wants to have a laugh at footy training.
“It’s not very serious, everyone plays a practical joke here and there but saying that’s an issue, I think, is going way too far.”
Veteran winger Akuila Uate made an emotional plea for the media to leave the Gladstone incident in the past.
“We get dragged down by you guys and to stay positive, you guys can actually help us,” he told reporters.
“With this situation, I feel for whoever gets involved because we’ve got feelings as well and if you drag us down, of course we’re not going to be the best player we could be.
“I feel for Chez (Cherry-Evans).
“He’s got three beautiful girls to go to every afternoon, every day, and he comes in and rips in at training and he’s done nothing wrong.
“He’s given himself to pay the fine.”
