VENUE & TIME: Parramatta Stadium, Sunday March 21, 2.00pm (AEDT).
COVERAGE: Fox Sports
HEAD TO HEADPlayed 122, Sea Eagles 76, Eels 42, drawn 4
LAST TIME: Sea Eagles 34 - Eels 10 at Brookvale Oval, Round 10, 2009
MATCH ODDS: Luxbet: Eels $1.35, Sea Eagles $3.05
WALKING WOUNDED: Young Brendan Oake has been included on the Eels' bench, replacing Shane Shackelton, who suffered a sickening season-ending hamstring tear against the Dragons last Friday night. Centre Joel Reddy returns to the side after missing last week with a leg injury suffered in the warm up.
The Sea Eagles have been ravaged by injury early in their campaign, the most concerning being the serious knee problem suffered by star full-back Brett Stewart during the club's loss to the Tigers. He is looking at a five-month stint on the sidelines, joining teammate David Williams on the absentee list after the 'Wolfman' suffered a collarbone injury at training which will keep him out for up to eight weeks. Prop George Rose will miss the match after pleading guilty to a grade-four careless high tackle charge.
FORM: It's not often a side has to contend with a 94 percent completion rate in the finals let alone the first week of the premiership, but that's exactly the dilemma the Eels faced last Friday night against a near-perfect St George Illawarra. After last season's memorable finish, many people were expecting the Eels to blow the Dragons off the paddock, but it simply didn't happen. They, like many other clubs, will take time to get cracking again.
The Sea Eagles blew a 20-4 half-time lead against the Tigers to go down by four points in the final wash-up of a pulsating Monday night encounter. Manly's forwards dominated early, but struggled to keep their heads late in the game, allowing the ever-dangerous Tigers to pounce.
WHO'S HOT: Veteran Eel Luke Burt may only be a winger these days, but his value to the club remains unquestionable. He was everywhere last Friday night against the Dragons, the highlight being his superb reeling in of a bullet-like Jarryd Hayne pass to score in the left corner. He celebrates his 200th first-grade match on Sunday, fresh from signing a new deal that will keep him at Parramatta until the end of the 2012 season.
Big Sea Eagles prop George Rose was having the time of his life against the Tigers last Monday night until it all went pear-shaped in the final stages. The All-Star giant crossed for a strong try and was up there in the metres-gained (136) department, continuing his rise up the NRL forward ranks.
WE THINK: Much of Manly's attack in previous seasons has came from the combination of Matt Orford and Brett Stewart, but with both players unavailable for varying reasons, the 2008 premiers may find points hard to come by. Their best chance of victory here will be to challenge the Eels up the middle, but expect Daniel Anderson's men to be ready for whatever comes their way. A draining Monday night encounter will also count against the Eagles here. Eels by 12.
TEAMS
Parramatta Eels:
1 Jarryd Hayne, 2 Luke Burt, 3 Joel Reddy, 4 Timana Tahu, 5 Eric Grothe, 6 Daniel Mortimer, 7 Jeff Robson, 8 Nathan Cayless [c], 9 Matt Keating, 10 Justin Poore, 11 Nathan Hindmarsh,