Round 4: Sea Eagles v Panthers preview
Complete mismatch looms between ladder leaders and cellar dwellers.
Fresh off an embarrassing 38-12 loss to the Dragons, the Sea Eagles will be desperate to turn their fortunes around - but with the table-topping Panthers in town their misery only looks set to drag on.
It has become a painful weekly chore for Manly fans - going onto the club website at 4pm on Tuesday afternoons only to find they have wasted their time. Another heavy defeat and once again Des Hasler has refused to ring in the changes or at least make any real effort to set standards. The Dylan Walker fullback experiment will stubbornly extend into its fourth week but fortunately for Sea Eagles fans this looks like the final instalment, at least for the time being.
They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results - but I don't think that is how Hasler got his reputation as the NRL's mad scientist. But with little resilience in defence and complete ineptitude in attack without Tom Trbojevic, Manly fans will be hoping for some sort of a miracle on Thursday night.
The last time the Panthers came to Brookvale Charlie Staines ran in a first-half double as Penrith stormed to a 42-12 win. Dylan Edwards was missing on that night too - he will be sidelined for at least the next month with a broken hand. Former Sea Eagles hooker Apisai Koroisau was running around then though, reminding Manly just what they had been missing but he won't be there this time around so at least that is one less source of pain for the Lottoland faithful.
Stephen Crichton moves to fullback to cover for Edwards while Matt Burton shifts to the centres. It should not have too much of a bearing on Thursday's result though given Penrith were able to score a last-gasp win over the defending premiers last week all while playing the entire second half with just one member of their first-choice spine. In any case, the opportunity for Crichton to shine in a new position and Burton to get more first-grade experience should add a much-needed injection of energy to this Panthers line-up. After all, having exacted revenge on Melbourne last week there is bound to be a drop-off in intensity this time around. But with Nathan Cleary back to steer the team around it should not be too noticeable.
Last meeting: Round 12 2020 - Sea Eagles 12 Panthers 42
Who to watch: While injuries are never ideal, the silver lining from Manly's thinning options in the back row is the emergence of Josh Schuster. While he has a background in the halves, Schuster impressed last week on the edge with 133 running metres, three tackle busts and a try assist. Manly have lacked any real potency out wide but with Schuster there, who both runs a strong line and has a slick passing game, he could open up new opportunities in attack.
Meanwhile, Manly are the exact kind of team that Viliame Kikau could single-handedly tear apart. The Sea Eagles have looked vulnerable all over the park in defence and Kikau is already hard enough to defend as is. But both Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai have come up with new ways to get the most out of their destructive second rower, giving him early ball or playing it back on an angle. It adds a degree of unpredictability to Penrith's use of Kikau and will make him a handful for an already fragile defensive team like Manly.
The favourite: No surprise here - it is the Panthers comfortably.
My tip: Don't be surprised if Manly are within one or two tries of Penrith by halftime before falling away late. Look for the Panthers to do this comfortably without exiting second gear. Penrith by 20.
