Round 5: Knights v Sea Eagles preview
Turbo-less Manly travel north to Newcastle looking to go three in a row.
The Newcastle Knights and the Manly Sea Eagles kick off round 5 NRL action on Thursday night in Newcastle. Two teams that both have two wins from their opening 4 rounds, they're nonetheless in very different positions. Manly are looking to make it three in a row, while Newcastle will want to rediscover their form from earlier rounds.
After a blistering start to the 2022 season for the Knights, a strong Cronulla side have caused them to come crashing back down to Earth. Finishing 7th the past two years running, a strong start to the season despite a depleted squad and the loss of Mitchell Pearce over the off season caused quite the buzz from Newcastle camp. But now they are looking at a loss for the third week in a row, this time against Des Hasler's Sea Eagles.
Perhaps there would be less pressure on the Knights if they weren't held to zero last time out. Their halves pairing of Adam Clune and Jake Clifford have the potential to set up many a try, and outside backs Dane Gagai and Bradman Best can certainly score them, but can they do it consistently? Fullback Kalyn Ponga will also need to contribute some attacking firepower for Newcastle to outscore Manly this Thursday.
But for the backs to do their work, it's up to the pack to lay a platform. Star players David Klemmer, Mitchell Barnett and Lachlan Fitzgibbon make up the long list of forwards out with injury. Tyson Frizzel has been named despite hamstring tightness. Add in co-captain and hooker Jayden Brailey's current sideline stint, and ruck dominance seems a near impossible task for the forwards. One of the players filling that gap is Rugby convert Leo Thompson. After making his NRL debut in round 1, he started at prop last time out against Cronulla, and has been named on the bench.
Hymel Hunt was expected to return from injury this week, but hasn't been named. Winger Dom Young got off with a fine after being placed on report for a dangerous tackle in round 4, and keeps his spot in the 17. He will be fighting to keep it even when Hunt regains his fitness.
It's a very different story for the Manly Sea Eagles. In almost complete opposite fashion to their opposition, they started the season in an underwhelming manner, going 0 from 2 early on. But a nerve racking match against Canterbury which saw them escape with the two points in round 3 seems to have kicked the club into gear, with a trip to Mudgee last weekend ending in a comfortable win over Canberra.
Manly captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans has set the standard for Manly players in the past fortnight, kicking two field goals and setting up numerous scoring opportunities through his brilliant kicking game. It's an important reminder to national team selectors of his talent, with the upcoming Rugby League World Cup on the horizon. His main competition for the Kangaroos number 7 jersey is Nathan Cleary, who he will most likely come up against in this year's State of Origin series.
His role will be even more important in the coming weeks, with fullback Tom Trbojevic sidelined with a knee injury. He is expected to return for Manly in around a month's time, and young centre Tolutau Koula has been named as his replacement. Koula showed his talent with an early try against Canberra last week, and will play his first game at fullback in just his third NRL appearance. Brad Parker has been named on the reserves due to covid protocols, so Christian Tuipulotu will slot in at centre to replace Koula.
Newcastle have won their past three matches against Manly, and the Sea Eagles have only won 4 of their 16 matches at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Last meeting: Round 12 2021 - Knights 18 Sea Eagles 10
Who to watch: Young Tolutau Koula will start at fullback in the absence of Tom Trobejevic this Thursday night. Koula is the son of two Olympic sprinters/hurdlers, and his whopping 100m time of 10.58 run when he was just 17 very much proves that. The now 19 year old is expected to get his first minutes as an NRL fullback at a very critical time for the club. With momentum building behind Manly, Turbo's injury might be all it takes to lose it. If Koula can do his job over the next few weeks, the Sea Eagles will be in a very good position.
Ed's note: This preview was written before the squad update on Thursday, where Koula was omitted through injury. Koula's place has been taken by Reuben Garrick at fullback, with Brad Parker listed at centre and Christian Tuipulotu on the wing.
Experienced utility Kurt Mann will start at lock for the fifth game running this Thursday. The seemingly more stable position appears to be getting better and more consistent performances from him. One of the best tacklers in the game, he has a tackle efficiency of 95.6% so far in the 2022 season, one of the best for locks who play most if not all of the 80 minutes. He has scored 40 tries over a career spanning 9 years, but is yet to score one in this campaign.
The favourite: The Manly Sea Eagles are the favourites to get the win this Thursday away from home.
My tip: Being held to zero last week would've hurt Newcastle. They are going to be desperate to prove that they are a competitive team this year, and a turbo-less Manly may struggle. Newcastle by 2.
