Last week, the Parramatta Eels showed they can win with controlled rage and a plan.
This week, they’re up against it again. History says so. Form says so. The bookies say so. The venue says so. “Fozball” says so.
Last week’s win was fuelled by the legends of the club’s 1986 premiership. A reminder.
This Anzac Sunday, Manly Sea Eagles draw on their own history. They’ll ride the emotion of their old boys’ 1976 title win over the Eels. It’s also Jake Trbojevic’s 100th game at 4 Pines Park.
They are on a high. Three straight away wins after losing their first three under Seibold at home.
With momentum and emotion behind them, they won’t just expect to win. They’ll expect to dominate.
Teams
Manly 8th vs Parra 14th, Sunday 26 April 2026, 4 Pines Park, 4.05pm AEDT
Referee: Peter Gough (Referee), Kasey Badger (touch judge), Grant Atkins (bunker).
Weather: Expected to be fine, sunny.
Sportbet: Manly $1.43, Eels $2.84. The Eels are $101 in the premiership market ahead of the last-placed Dragons at $501.
Manly: 1. Tolutau Koula 2. Jason Saab 3. Clayton Faulalo 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Brandon Wakeham 10. Kobe Hetherington 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic
Bench: 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Corey Waddell 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Siosiua Taukeiaho 18. Simione Laiafi 19. Josh Feledy
Cut: 20. Nathan Brown 21. Joey Walsh 22. Jackson Shereb
Head Coach: Keiran Foran
Eels: 1. Joash Papali’i 2. Brian Kelly 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Ronald Volkman 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Luca Moretti 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Charlie Guymer 12. Jack Williams 17. Jack de Belin
Bench: 13. Dylan Walker 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Saxon Pryke 16. Toni Mataele 18. Kelma Tuilagi 19. Lorenzo Talataina
Cut: 20. Araz Nanva 21. Jezaiah Funa-Luta 22. Teancum Brown
Head Coach: Jason Ryles
Injuries: Sean Russell (back from concussion this week, R8), Jordan Samrani (knee, R10), Jonah Pezet (hamstring, R11), Isaiah Iongi (ankle, R13), Bailey Simonsson (ankle, TBC), Matt Doorey (knee, next season), J’maine Hopgood (ACL, next season), Apa Twidle (AC joint), Ryan Matterson (concussion).
The worst injury toll in the game. 28 players used to date. The most. It makes last week's performance even more impressive.
Stat Attack
L 0–54 (−54) — 2018
L 24–36 (−12) — 2019
L 18–22 (−4) — 2020
W 36–20 (+16) — 2022
L 30–34 (−4) — 2023
L 18–32 (−14) — 2024
L 12–26 (−14) — 2025
The Eels have lost 6 of their last 7 games against Manly at 4 Pines Park (above). It's the polar opposite at Parramatta: The Eels have won 6 of their last 7 there against Manly.
Manly have not lost four-straight at home since 2022.
The Eels have leaked 35 points per game in 2026. The second worst after the Dragons with the Storm and Raiders not far away.
Josh Addo-Carr has scored 4 tries in his last 5 games.
Reuben Garrick has scored 13 tries in 14 games against the Eels.
The Blueprint
Grit. Guts. And brain.
Last week against the Dogs, the Eels found the basic game plan they need.
R1 | Storm | Blowout (50+) | ~300m
R2 | Broncos | Fight, close win | ~600m+
R3 | Dragons | Fight, close win | ~850m+
R4 | Panthers | Blowout (Almost 50) | ~430m
R5 | Tigers | Fight, close loss | ~700m
R6 | Titans | Blowout (50+) | ~420m
R7 | Bulldogs | Fight, best win | ~900m
Kick Metres (approximated)
There are three Non-Negotiables.
Long kicking game with a good kick chase.
Pressure. Force errors with up-tempo, agressive in your face defence. Good first up contact. Straight lines, no staggering.
Take your chances.
The Dogs win yardage, possession, and territory basically every week. Even in defeat: Like last night's big loss by twenty points against the Broncos. But when they lose, it’s to teams kicking 800–1000m and forcing errors. Exactly what the Eels did. The Broncos did the same last night. Over 800m.
Under 450m is a death sentence. The Eels make the least yardage in the competition. Moses’ boot compensates for it.
Kick long or die.
Momentum Beasts
Manly’s simplified Fozball is far more potent.
Olakau’atu, Paseka, Waddell, and Hetherington has almost doubled their yardage in the last three weeks under Foran compared to the first three under Seibold.
He's unleashed the engine room beasts.
You know what that means? They’ll expect to win the middle. And if they do that, they’ll win the game. Unless we repeat last week's blueprint.
Final Word
Anzac Weekend is one of the biggest events in the calendar.
Can the undermanned Eels step off the rollercoaster and go back-to-back? Or does Manly’s roll continue?
Their legends will be watching.
Manly should win. The Eels have to earn it. The hard way.
Replies
The best players with high standards in effort win comps. This group, including the injured, just aren't up to it.
The management aren't up to it. The jury is out on the coach.
The boys who played today gave it everything. I'm not going to knock their efforts. But to win games like this in NRL you need some elite talent in key positions. We have Moses. That's literally it. Even an injury free 1-17 this would have been too close to call and I could not have been confident of a win. Our roster is average at best. Probably better described as below average. It's not the players or coach's fault. It's the Head of Football's fault.
My comments are purely based on roster quality not their effort.
Its more than the Head of Football's fault. The CEO & the board need to take responsibility for not identifying his faults. The club is to reactive not proactive. A good club like the Roosters will run 3rd & make positive changes to win that premiership but Parramatta.....
Unfortunately we follow a club that just isn't good enough. 40 years will turn into 50 years & so on.
Yep. Agreed
Stupid errors in our own half really cost us. We had plenty of go forward. Fatigue got us. Game was winnable if we held the ball. Few missed calls from the ref but was expected with that shit ref. Few shoulder charges in there too.
They bashed us about and we couldn't hang with it
That ref was terrible. 18 sets to 4 in the second half. Asd to that a sin bin. Manly getting away with head highs galore. Big o nearly took rustys head off. No penalty no sin bin just a delaided on report. I don't know who comes in next week for walker. Kelly had over 100m at half time. The effort is there. Bad calls and a few bad mistakes at certain times.
Some of us will be playing next week atp 🤣
I feel like the NRL has it in for us this year after the Lomax saga. Surely Ryles starts standing up for our team and calling out their bullshit. We're gonna have to start looking at our WNRL team for reserves before the NRL allows any dispensation
Yep
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