Roar Guru
Warriors tried hard minus their stars Shaun Johnson and Feleti Mateo but Manly were too strong, too classy and too clinical when it mattered.
They are such a tough team and its going to take a special effort from anyone to stop the Sea Eagles from finishing as premiers.
They are not invincible by any means but at this stage of the year they are just so hard to defeat. Minor premiership is certainly theirs. Cherry-Evans superb today defensively and in attack. What a player.
FULLTIME
Sea Eagles 22
Warriors 12
The New Zealand Warriors need to regroup following a tough defeat to Brisbane last week and will need to be at their best to defeat premiership contenders the Manly Sea Eagles. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 2:00pm AEST.
After racing to a 12 nil lead against the Broncos, it appeared that the Warriors were well on course for a fourth straight victory that would have seen them within reach of the top four.
New Zealand however once again took their foot off the pedal and allowed Brisbane to secure a 28-22 win that robs the Warriors of some much needed momentum.
The Warriors are now back at home and face a Sea Eagles outfit well on course for another minor premiership.
Clashes between these two teams usually end up being very entertaining affairs and today’s contest should be no different.
Although New Zealand have been impressive at home in recent weeks, the Sea Eagles present a far more dangerous test for the Warriors.
It is vital that the Warriors respect possession this afternoon and maintain strong concentration for the full 80 minutes against Manly. The Sea Eagles are one of the most clinical attacking units in the NRL and will punish New Zealand if they are gifted possession.
Daly Cherry-Evans is the player that usually makes the Sea Eagles attack tick along. If he fires, then the Warriors could be in for a long afternoon at home. The result of today’s game could largely rest on how well Cherry-Evans is contained by the Warriors.
The other key factor in today’s game is Shaun Johnson. Johnson didn’t have the greatest of games against Brisbane and needs to stand up against quality opposition today.
On his day, Johnson is lethal to say the least but his ball playing intelligence will be tested by a resolute Manly defence.
Overall, the Warriors certainly possess enough flair in attack to secure the win today. Anything less than a complete performance though will see Manly win.
Warriors by 6.