Match Centre

Round 25: Broncos v Sea Eagles preview

The Broncos look to maintain their momentum heading into the finals against the struggling Sea Eagles

In the past fortnight, Brisbane have sent a clear message to the rest of the top eight - they are genuine premiership contenders.

The comprehensive victories over the Rabbitohs and Roosters saw Wayne Bennett's men secure their spot in the top eight and now a win on Sunday afternoon could book them a home final.

And despite being without rake Andrew McCullough, pretty much everyone is expecting them to do just that.

After all, the Sea Eagles have nothing to play for and appear to be impatiently waiting for their tumultuous 2018 campaign to be over.

Yet beating the top teams has never been Brisbane's problem. In fact, they've won eight of 12 games this year against sides currently sitting in the top eight.

Against lowly-ranked opposition, however, they've failed to find the same drive and intensity. And Manly took advantage of it earlier in the year when they snapped a five-game losing streak to beat Brisbane 38-24 at Suncorp Stadium

The Broncos have done all the hard work in reasserting themselves as title contenders, yet a loss on Sunday afternoon would see all of it come undone and Bennett's men instead tagged as too inconsistent.

At least Manly have been relatively consistent in 2018 - consistently bad. It's no surprise though given the off-field issues that have plagued the proud club, including salary cap dramas and coaching upheaval.

By all reports, the majority of the playing group still support current coach Trent Barrett and will be determined to have a dig in what may be his final game at the helm.

In recent weeks, however, they simply haven't looked like they were trying. A lack of concentration in defence against both the Titans and Tigers saw Manly squander early leads, with the 42-34 defeat to the Gold Coast being the most concerning.

Last Meeting: Manly upset Brisbane 38-24 at Suncorp Stadium in Round 10 earlier this year.

Who to watch: He may be a controversial point of discussion, but Brisbane recruit Matt Lodge has been their best in 2018. Lodge has consistently provided the Broncos with plenty of grunt up front, having ran for under 100 metres in just six of his 24 games this year. Consistency has been something that Brisbane have struggled to find this season yet Lodge has had no problems putting his off-field dramas behind him to lead from the front every single week.

Jake Trbojevic has arguably been Manly's most consistent performer in a disappointing year and starred in their Round 10 win over Brisbane. The 24-year old scored two tries, ran for 200 metres and made 44 tackles in a powerful display and will need to lead from the front on Sunday with many of his teammates struggling for motivation.

Favourite: Brisbane are favoured to claim their third-straight win to end the regular season.

Tip: While the Broncos are the logical choice here, the 2018 NRL season has often defied logic, with unpredictable results aplenty. Brisbane may suffer a letdown after taking it to the competition heavyweights and Manly will be motivated to lift in their final game under coach Barrett. Sea Eagles by 4.