Round 11: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs St George-Illawarra Dragons

[DIEHARD]

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs St George-Illawarra Dragons

7:45pm Friday May 23, Brookvale Oval

SEA EAGLES

1. Brett Stewart
2. Michael Robertson
3. Steve Matai
4. Jamie Lyon
5. David Williams
6. Steve Menzies
7. Matt Orford
8. Brent Kite
9. Matt Ballin
10. Josh Perry
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Glenn Stewart
13. Luke Williamson

14. Heath L'Estrange
15. Glenn Hall
16. Adam Cuthbertson
17. Mark Bryant
18. Nick Bradley-Qalilawa

DRAGONS

1. Brett Morris
2. Jason Nightingale
3. Mark Gasnier
4. Matt Cooper
5. Josh Morris
6. Jamie Soward
7. Ben Hornby
8. Justin Poore
9. Dean Young
10. Jason Ryles
11. Beau Scott
12. Lagi Setu
13. Ben Creagh

14. Kirk Reynoldson
15. Dan Hunt
16. Simon Woolford
17. Stuart Webb
18. Rangi Chase
19. Michael Lett
20. Chase Stanley

[DIEHARD]

Sea Eagles v Dragons Preview

Brookvale Oval, Friday 7.45pm

UNUSUAL that a team sitting second on the ladder would be welcoming back just one Origin rep to the fold, while their 13th-placed opponents sweat on three key members backing up in what looms as a crucial encounter for the red-and-whites.

While the Sea Eagles are building nice momentum with six wins from their past seven games ? including a flashy 38-6 demolition of the Cowboys last week ? the Dragons present a major headache this week.

They are definitely Manly?s bogey side, winning eight of 11 clashes and Brookvale Oval will hold no qualms for them as they have won three of five games at the peninsula ?fortress?.

The Dragons have won two from their past three, including an impressive win over, granted, a sub-quality Storm last week ? but they are a team playing without luck.

Stats show their +28 points differential is sixth best in the NRL ? yet they find themselves four points out of the top eight with the season midpoint rapidly approaching.

Manly are close to full strength here, with Anthony Watmough warming back to form last game, while Steve Matai at centre ensures they lose nothing in attacking strike-power with Steve Bell still on the sidelines.

Two-gamer David Williams remains in place of the injured Michael Bani; he scored a good support try off a Jamie Lyon kick last week and will be looking to put pressure on Des Hasler to retain him when Bani is deemed fit to return in a month.

Finally, luck is shining on the Dragons regarding injuries ? providing Matt Cooper, Mark Gasnier and Ben Hornby get through Origin unscathed they?ll turn up with a 20-man squad, with Rangi Chase, Michael Lett and Chase Stanley forming an extended bench.

It?s a milestone game for Cooper ? he plays his 150th NRL match and becomes only the third St George Illawarra player to do so.

Watch out Sea Eagles: Both sides will look to score points off kicks, with the home side scoring 11 so far in 2008 and the Dragons one more. But lurking on the left wing for the Dragons is Jason Nightingale, who tops the NRL tryscorer?s list with 8.

The home side will need to watch for cross-field bombs directed David Williams? way, with Nightingale ready to pounce ? Manly have defused just 50 per cent of these types of kicks and 15 of the Dragons? 32 tries have been scored on their left side.

Watch out Dragons: Bouncing prop Adam Cuthbertson is building a cult-like following.

He continues to impress as an impact player and last week in a spirited 45-minute spurt cracked the Cowboys? line twice, bagged a pair of tries, offloaded twice and made 83 metres.

Plus he made 22 tackles. Expect something to happen when Des Hasler shrewdly injects the big guy into the fray.

Where it will be won: The visitors? chances of winning hinge on their confidence and whether they can find a groove early. For Manly, it?s all about stiffening their defences against the red-and-whites in particular.

Everyone knows they can score points, but while in 2008 they?ve conceded an average of just 13.2 points a game (least of all teams in the NRL), in their past seven games against the Dragons they?ve yielded 29.7 points a game.

They can?t afford to do that this week, against a team boasting a centre pairing of Gasnier-Cooper and with Jamie Soward jumping out of his boots having secured his future with a new two-year deal during the week.

The History: Played 11; Dragons 8, Sea Eagles 3. The Dragons have won six of the past seven encounters, but the Sea Eagles won 28-24 at Brookvale Oval in their last meeting last year. The Dragons hold a 3-2 win record at Brookvale Oval.

Conclusion: History show this game will throw up plenty of points. Both sides like to play upbeat, expansive footy and it could be a tit-for-tat scoring affair.

While the Dragons have every reason to feel confident on their bus ride north, Manly are too good to dismiss at home. Look for a great battle up front between former Dragon Brent Kite and the resurgent Dragon Jason Ryles.

Ryles remains miffed at his critics and continues to put in splendidly each week, while Kite can be counted on for a tough display to further his chances of a recall for Origin II. All things considered, it?s safer to tip the home side.

Match officials: Referee ? Jason Robinson; Sideline Officials ? Steve Carrall & David Abood; Video ref ? Phil Cooley.

Televised: Channel Nine ? Live from 7.30pm.

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

I'm actually confident about this game, i really think that if we click like we did against the storm we can really give manly a run for their money, i just hope and pray, that the team watched the origin and saw what happens when u give gasnier the ball, start passing to him, so he can at least try something.

i'm glad i only have to wait till friday night too to watch this one.

Should be a ripper of a game.

[TITAN PETE]

This should be a great game & maybe a fairly high scoring match but i think the Eagles will be too hot for the Dragons with a 32-18 win

[Paul]

The Morris try at the end was pure class

[Dragons]

The Morris try at the end was pure class

I'm buzzing! Go you good thing. Hello baby ...I'm coming to bed...

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

Given that we handed manly that game through penalities and errors, it was good to sneak the win home, i have no come to the conclusions that

A) Steve Matai is the dirtist player
B) that the dragons can beat anyone, weve beaten the top 4 teams this year, we just need to focus
C) i'm going to have no nails, no hair and blood pressure through the roof.

[TITAN PETE]

Given that we handed manly that game through penalities and errors, it was good to sneak the win home, i have no come to the conclusions that

A) Steve Matai is the dirtist player
B) that the dragons can beat anyone, weve beaten the top 4 teams this year, we just need to focus
C) i'm going to have no nails, no hair and blood pressure through the roof.

It was a good win by the Dragons but don't get carried away around Origin time as you would've struggled to get within 30 of a full strength Storm & you won't get close to the Titans at Skilled so enjoy tonights good win

[C-Whiz]

Agree with Pete. A couple of wins that you wouldn't have got usually. The best scalp you've got is the Titans! But 2 points is 2 points, same as we won ugly against the Dogs last week. And you've got Dell coming back soon!

I was cheering those Dragons home, and I must say it felt a bit weird! Lucky I hate Manly more. And it suits the Titans ladder lead.

[Steel Dragon]

You have to be able to win ugly to be there at the pointy end of the season. So far this year the Dragons have butchered games they should have won, despite sub-par performances. Finally they managed to squeak home in one. Hopefully it can be a turning point.

Hopefully the Titans can learnt to win away from home and consolidate top spot too. Beat them down there last year, no reason the dose can't be repeated.

[Dragons]

It was a good win by the Dragons but don't get carried away around Origin time as you would've struggled to get within 30 of a full strength Storm & you won't get close to the Titans at Skilled so enjoy tonights good win

We have a good track record against the Titans cant wait for this game.
This will be the second time I wont be cheering on the Titans this year. Have to stick with my beloved Dragons TITAN PETE (one team for life)

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

well considering that melbourne struggled to put souths away and the way we played against a sub standrad melbourne team(i didn't think it was that sub standard) i think we may have beaten a full strength team, if we can concentrate we should beat souths next week and then we will have a classic showdown against the broncos.

but i still stand by my statement, and its more than just the two wins, its the games we have lost because of our stupidity and lazyness, if we hold the ball and maintain discipline we can beat anyone.

manly, storm, roosters and titans are just the beginning,