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Sea Eagles
1 Peta Hiku
2 Cheyse Blair
3 Jamie Lyon (c)
4 Steve Matai
5 David Williams
6 Kieran Foran
7 Daly Cherry-Evans
8 Josh Starling
9 Matt Ballin
10 Brenton Lawrence
11 Anthony Watmough
12 Justin Horo
13 Glenn Stewart
Interchange
14 James Hasson
15 Dunamis Lui
16 Jamie Buhrer
17 Jesse Sene-Lefao
18 Tony Satini
Coach: Geoff Toovey
Roosters
1 Anthony Minichiello
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Michael Jennings
4 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 James Maloney
7 Mitchell Pearce
8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
9 Jake Friend
10 Sam Moa
11 Boyd Cordner
12 Mitchell Aubusson
13 Frank-Paul Nuuausala
Interchange
14 Daniel Mortimer
15 Aidan Guerra
16 Dylan Napa
17 Kane Evans
18 Siosiua Taukeiaho
Coach: Trent Robinson
Roosters v Sea Eagles preview
By Dan Walsh, Staff Writer
NRL.com
2:00pm Wed 26th March, 2014
Roosters v Sea Eagles
Allianz Stadium
Friday 7.40 (AEDT)
It's enough to put a spring in your step, a song in your heart and a suspicious absence in all family and social occasions as any serious rugby league fan is either turning up or tuning in to this one.
It's the Grand Final rematch baby, and anniversaries/best mate's wedding/Grandma's birthday be damned, you should give yourself an uppercut if you miss another battle between these feathered foes.
Last year's decider was one for the ages, and regardless of what either side says while being nice and polite to the media this week, rest assured Manly will be out for revenge, and the Roosters will be hell bent on giving them sweet fudge all.
While a few stars will be watching from the stands there are still enough match-ups across the park to have you pulling your best Homer Simpson drooling impression.
Killer and Wolfman v Jenko and RTS... Junior v DCE... Choc v Cordner... JWH v anyone who goes near him...
Get us a napkin, stat.
It's testament to the class of both these sides that they came out on top in their respective clashes despite being nowhere near their best last weekend, when the Roosters rattled up two tries in the last five minutes to slay the Broncos and Many left their run until a lazy 30 seconds remaining against the Eels.
Whichever side loses this week will be 2-2 after a month of football, which is not a true reflection of how either club has played, but regardless a fair old cherry in terms of motivation. As if these two sides needed anything extra.
In team news Jesse Sene-Lefao comes in for the suspended Jason King, while Tony Satini has been named as cover for Kieran Foran, who is battling a persistent calf injury.
The Roosters are unchanged from last week's match in Brisbane.
Watch Out Roosters: Steve Matai has been terrorising right-edge defences this year and is the in-form centre of the competition after three rounds, with four tries, four line breaks and an average of 109 metres a match to his name. The tough-as-teak Kiwi has also been bringing home the bacon for those around him with two try assists and three line break assists, and don't think Trent Robinson hasn't prepped Mitchell Pearce and Shaun Kenny-Dowell of these numbers. The Broncos exposed the pair's combination out wide with two second-half tries between the pair last week, and anything but their best will result in Matai running amok.
Closer to the ruck Anthony Watmough has also hit the ground running in 2014, with the angry ant's leg speed looking tailor-made for the faster game pace we've seen across the opening weeks of the season. The NSW and Australian stalwart has made 11 tackle breaks and six offloads and is second only to the Titans Greg Bird for running metres (448) made by a forward.
Watch Out Sea Eagles: The Roosters are leading the competition for line breaks this year with 20, and while 14 of these came as the Chooks breezed through Parramatta's turnstile defence they haven't taken a booster shot of confidence when it comes to breaking the line. Mitchell Pearce in particular will have his tail up after putting his teammates into the backfield an impressive eight times this year (three ahead of the next best in the league, Johnathan Thurston), and back-rowers Mitch Aubusson and Boyd Cordner have reaped the benefits with three line breaks each this year.
Plays To Watch: Both fullbacks have had their issues cleaning up kicks at the back so far this year, so look for them to be targeted by the two best all-round kicking games in the competition.
Anthony Minichello last week gave the Broncos their second try when he fumbled a skidding grubber from Ben Hunt and also had his issues in the Round 1 loss to the Rabbitohs, while opposite number Peta Hiku implemented his own catch -and-release policy against the Storm before improving in recent weeks.
Likewise Roosters halves Pearce and Maloney will not have forgotten their successful aerial assault on David Williams last October, when the Wolfman's indecisiveness under the high ball resulted in the opening try to Daniel Tupou, a half-spray from Brett Stewart and a long, lonely summer trying to put a forgettable night behind him.
Where It Will Be Won: With both side's possessing sizzling outside men and the halves almost cancelling each other out this is the kind of match that will be decided up front. And won't the big boppers be salivating.
The Roosters' pack can hang their hat on conceding just 34 points across four matches against the Sea Eagles last year, and don't be surprised if Jared Waerea-Hargreaves gives them a subtle reminder of this.
How Manly would love to have enforcer Jason King leading them into battle in this one, but his enforced absence will mean young props Josh Starling, James Hasson and Dunamis Lui need to step up and take it to the premiers.
The History: Played 133; Sea Eagles 84, Roosters 47, drawn 2. The Chooks have had the wood over Manly of late, coming up trumps in all four clashes in 2013. And as with so many of their wins in 2013, their defence has proved the difference between the two sides, conceding just six tries to the 2009 and 2011 champions last year.
What Are The Odds: Despite the Roosters being the favourites, punters can't split these two, with the money invested at Sportsbet.com.au virtually even. In fact, despite being $2.25 underdogs, Manly have actually had more bets on them.
Match Officials: Referees – Ben Cummins & Gavin Reynolds; Touch Judges – Chris James & Jason Walsh; Video Referees – Steve Clark and Luke Patten.
Televised: Channel 9 - Live 7.30 pm (NSW), delayed 9.30pm (Qld).
The Way We See It: The Roosters start as warm favourites and rightly so, with a brighter start to the season and near full-strength side. But as Manly have proved time and time again they love nothing more than a scrap, and would love nothing more than atoning for last October's disappointment. The Chooks do look to have a slight edge up front, and this should see them home in another tight one. Roosters by 4 points.
Roosters v Sea Eagles
Roosters: The premiers are expected to be unchanged for the grand final rematch, with Siosiua Taukeiaho dropping off the bench.
Sea Eagles: Manly are without suspended co-captain and prop Jason King and are also likely to again be missing five-eighth Kieran Foran (calf), who did some training yesterday for the first time this week. Jesse Sene-Lefao replaces King, while youngster Tony Satini will again cover Foran by playing in the centres, with Jamie Lyon at No.6 as he was last weekend against Parramatta.
Unbreakable Manly hold Roosters scoreless
By Dan Walsh
NRL.com
9:31pm Fri 28th March, 2014
They said all week that revenge wasn't on their minds, but rest assured Manly's 8-0 triumph over the Roosters would have been just that little bit sweeter than their previous nail-biting wins in 2014.
The Sea Eagles overcame a dogged Roosters outfit for the first time in five clashes as both sides produced a fitting sequel to last year's memorable decider, though a Jamie Lyon penalty goal on the stroke of full time provided an anti-climatic end to yet another low-scoring affair.
For the third time in four matches this season the Roosters found themselves on the wrong end of a lopsided penalty count, with the whistle blowing a staggering 11-2 in the Sea Eagles' favour, and a first-half try to winger Cheyse Blair proved enough for the visitors as they kept 2013's most potent attacking side scoreless for the first time since an 18-0 loss to the Panthers in early 2012.
A disallowed try to Daniel Tupou in the 73rd minute was the closest the Roosters came to cracking the Sea Eagles' line, while 14,902 fans were treated to a final five minutes reminiscent of a Three Stooges episode as Manly half Daly Cherry-Evans had repeated field goal attempts charged down and the Sea Eagles dropped more passes than they caught when faced with the chance to seal the match.
Minutes earlier Tupou had appeared to have levelled the scores when he crossed outwide, but the four-pointer was controversially denied as video referee Steve Clarke deemed the Manly defence had been obstructed when Roosters half Mitchell Pearce ran behind a decoy runner in the play's lead up.
From the outset both sides picked up where they had left off in their previous clashes with desperate goal-line defence in the opening 10 minutes, as first Boyd Cordner and then Peta Hiku were pulled down inches short of the line in the early exchanges.
Sea Eagles skipper Lyon opened the scoring with a penalty goal from 30 metres out, awarded for Jared Waerea-Hargreaves's high shot that gave Glenn Stewart an all expenses paid trip to Disneyland in the 18th minute.
The Kiwi enforcer faces a nervous wait after being placed on report for the hit, but Manly would've taken little comfort from the ruling as Stewart failed to return to the field.
With a whopping 58 per cent of possession in the first half and the lion's share of opportunities, Manly finally turned pressure into points in the 25th minute when Blair dived over in the corner against his old club after quick hands from Steve Matai saw the former Rooster and Eel bag his fourth try from as many starts this year.
There were shades of that famous semi-final of last year when the Sea Eagles hammered away at the Roosters line only to be told there was no room at the try-scoring inn, as the Tricolours repelled six repeat sets in their own half of the field to head into the break just six points in arrears and well and truly in the match.
Just as they had last October, both teams took to each other with relish upon the resumption, though neither could make the most of half chances in the face of desperate defence befitting two champion teams, and the match could've gone either way until referee Ben Cummins blew a final penalty for offside against the Roosters in the final minute of play.
The premiers now sit with a 2-2 win-loss record after a month of football, while Manly have proven again they are the masters of grinding out a tough win, with the eight-point margin incredibly their largest of the three wins they have registered to start the season.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 8 (C Blair tries; J Lyon 2 goals) defeated Sydney Roosters 0 at Allianz Stadium Crowd: 14,902
Refereeing 'unacceptable': Robinson
By Dan Walsh, staff writer
NRL.com
6:29am Sat 29th March, 2014
Roosters coach Trent Robinson has labelled referee Ben Cummins' performance "unacceptable" as his side was on the wrong end of an 11-2 penalty count in their tight 8-nil loss to Manly.
The Roosters have now conceded 38 penalties this year while being awarded just 22 in return, and Robinson was scathing in his assessment of the officials' performance during the grand final rematch.
""It was unacceptable from Ben Cummins,” said Robinson, who was at a loss as to explain why his side had lost the penalty count heavily in three of their four matches.
"I can’t answer why we’re not receiving penalties."
"This has been the case against the Roosters over decades, so I can’t answer that."
Robinson also insinuated that sides were 'lying down' against the premiers in a bid to earn penalties.
"We don’t play for penalties. We openly talk about it. We say we are not going to lie down, we’re going to stand up and keep fighting.
"It’s not in the spirit of the game. People are talking about lots of different areas of the game and what they need to police.
"Stop people lying down. We don’t want to have to lie down to get penalties. It’s not what we do here and we’re proud of that."
Taking aim at Cummins, Robinson claimed the senior referee and his assistant Gavin Reynolds were not on the same page during the match, and had provided direction to Manly players at breaks in play to avoid infringements.
"He’s [Cummins] talked to Jamie Buhrer about being offside at the first tackle off a scrum on two occasions – well, penalise it.
"He’s takled to Jamie Buhrer about hands in the ruck at a scrum, get your hands out of the ruck. Well, penalise them."
"They’re coaching Manly to not give the penalties. It’s just unacceptable."
Enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves ended up on report for an 18th minute shot that knocked Sea Eagles lock Glenn Stewart unconscious and ruled the veteran out for the rest of the match, but Robinson said he didn’t have an issue with the tackle or the ruling given by the referees.
"I thought it was in the right timing and it was unfortunate that Glenn couldn’t come back... It was just a normal tackle… it wasn’t within cooee of a shoulder charge."
Despite the loss, which leaves the Roosters with a 2-2 win-loss record after a month of football, Robinson said his side could take positives out of their defensive effort.
"That’s our best performance tonight defensively.
"There was some heart there in that defence, it was living and breathing tonight, which we’re proud of. That was great to see."
Manly show how to win tough
By Dan Walsh, staff writer
NRL.com
7:00am Sat 29th March, 2014
By all rights Manly should have folded like a pack of cards against the Roosters.
Reduced to 16 men for over an hour when Glenn Stewart was given a one-way, all expenses paid trip to Disneyland courtesy of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’s right shoulder. Lesser sides in the NRL would’ve have picked up their bat and ball and headed for home against the premiers.
Brother Brett, he of 136-career try fame, he who hasn’t played since halftime in round 1, drove the groggy Clive Churchill medallist home. The younger Stewart had earlier been sitting in the stands alongside gun winger Jorge Taufua, who scored the equal most tries in the competition last year, who is yet to lace a boot in anger this season.
Former Rooster Tom Symonds should have been right there next to them, but the Northern beaches' favourite ginger ninja since Paul Vautin was an eleventh hour call-up for James Hasson, the reserve prop taken ill with fever just an hour before kick-off.
Manly’s left side looked like extras in cable TV’s The Walking Dead, such was the discomfort centre Steve Matai (corked thigh) and five-eighth Kieran Foran (recurring calf injury) appeared to be in.
Yep, Manly were without X, Y and had a few more members of the alphabet either sitting on the sidelines or on their last legs.
And yet they got the chocolates, and held the competition’s most potent attacking side to nought, a feat that hasn’t been achieved in two years.
Yes they’ve got one of the best rosters in the comp. Yes they had 56% of possession. And yes the whistle blew 11-2 in their favour. But this Sea Eagles side has time and again aimed up when more than a reasonable number of chips were down and come out on top.
Talk about tougher than a boarding house steak.
Just don’t expect coach Geoff Toovey to be dining out on the 8-nil victory over the reigning premiers, which sits alongside their Round 2 stonewalling of fellow heavyweights South Sydney as the gutsiest performances of the year so far.
“It does [show a lot about our character] but you don’t want to rely on that every week, it’ll wear you down eventually,” said Toovey, whose team now sits on a 3-1 record after a month of football.
“Losing Glenn so early in the match, when you’re down to three replacements is always difficult, but that’s what makes it so pleasing – the result, and the effort the players put in.”
Toovey, one of the toughest to pull on the famous maroon and white, was quick to direct the praise for his side’s shutout.
“I thought physically our forwards did a fantastic job, they really worked hard.
“They defended soundly for each other. They were very effective. We had a lot of ball in the first half, which helped, but I thought they were great.”
Identified as one of the club’s few weaknesses before the season started, Toovey said his new front-row rotation of Brenton Lawrence, Josh Starling, Dunamis Lui and Jesse Sene-Lefao had performed above expectations in the early rounds.
“They’re doing a really good job. They’re taking a lot of pressure away from those injuries, particularly with losing experienced players and Richie Fa’aoso so late before the comp started.
“They’re doing a great job.”
Foran, who finished the match with barely a leg to stand on when his left pin started to cramp up alongside its underdone counterpart, said the Sea Eagles’ unheralded big men were the difference in the win.
“I think the guys that have come in are just doing an enormous job for us. Look at some of our forwards that don’t really get the headlines," he said.
“Guys like Sene-Lefao, Starling, Lui, they’re just tough.
“They’re doing a job for us every week and Choccy’s (Anthony Watmough) leading the forward pack and he’s bringing those young guys into that sort of tough environment and they’re learning from him and Jason King and guys like that.
“They’re what are winning us games at the