Friday night at the SCG will see two traditional rivals take the stage as the Sydney Roosters host the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, with both sides determined to take home the all-important two competition points.
Recent History: Sydney Roosters vs Newcastle Knights
Easts and Manly will meet for the 137th time at NRL level since 1947, with the Roosters showing strong form against their opponents in recent years, having taken wins in four of the last six encounters.
Round 1 Match Highlights: Roosters v Sea Eagles
The last meeting saw the Sea Eagles defeat a significantly understrength Tricolours outfit in the first week of the 2021 finals, however the last time the sides met at the Sydney Cricket Ground it was the Roosters crowing with their biggest-ever Round 1 victory in a 46-4 thumping.
Both sides will be aiming to reverse their fortunes from last week, with the Roosters coming off a disappointing finish against the Knights, while the Sea Eagles were stunned by the Penrith Panthers in their opening match.
How They Line Up
Head Coach Trent Robinson has listed a similar squad to the one that took the field last week, with new addition Renouf Atoni taking his place on the extended bench.
Once again Captain James Tedesco heads the side at fullback, joined alongside Daniel Tupou, Billy Smith, Joseph Manu and Paul Momirovski in the backline.
Sam Walker and Luke Keary continue their combination in the halves, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Connor Watson and Lindsay Collins line up in the front row, while the starting side is rounded off with Angus Crichton, Sitili Tupouniua and Victor Radley in the back row.
Match: Roosters v Sea Eagles
Round 2 -
home Team
Roosters
away Team
Sea Eagles
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Roosters is number 1 James TedescoFullback for Sea Eagles is number 1 Tom Trbojevic
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Winger for Roosters is number 2 Daniel TupouWinger for Sea Eagles is number 2 Jason Saab
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Centre for Roosters is number 3 Billy SmithCentre for Sea Eagles is number 3 Brad Parker
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Centre for Roosters is number 4 Joseph ManuCentre for Sea Eagles is number 4 Morgan Harper
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Winger for Roosters is number 5 Paul MomirovskiWinger for Sea Eagles is number 5 Reuben Garrick
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Five-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Sam WalkerFive-Eighth for Sea Eagles is number 6 Kieran Foran
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Halfback for Roosters is number 7 Luke KearyHalfback for Sea Eagles is number 7 Daly Cherry-Evans
Forwards
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Prop for Roosters is number 10 Lindsay CollinsProp for Sea Eagles is number 10 Martin Taupau
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Hooker for Roosters is number 14 Drew HutchisonHooker for Sea Eagles is number 9 Lachlan Croker
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Prop for Roosters is number 17 Siosiua TaukeiahoProp for Sea Eagles is number 16 Sean Keppie
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2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Angus Crichton2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 11 Haumole Olakau'atu
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2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Sitili Tupouniua2nd Row for Sea Eagles is number 12 Ethan Bullemor
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Lock for Roosters is number 13 Victor RadleyLock for Sea Eagles is number 13 Jake Trbojevic
Interchange
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Interchange for Roosters is number 8 Jared Waerea-HargreavesInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 14 Dylan Walker
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Interchange for Roosters is number 9 Connor WatsonInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 15 Karl Lawton
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Interchange for Roosters is number 15 Fletcher BakerInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 17 Taniela Paseka
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Interchange for Roosters is number 16 Nat ButcherInterchange for Sea Eagles is number 19 Andrew Davey
Reserves
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Replacement for Roosters is number 18 Kevin NaiqamaReplacement for Sea Eagles is number 8 Toafofoa Sipley
Match Officials
- Referee: Ashley Klein
- Touch Judge: Jon Stone
- Touch Judge: Phil Henderson
- Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy
Last updated:
Drew Hutchison, Fletcher Baker, Nat Butcher and Siosiua Taukeiaho make up the interchange bench, with Kevin Naiqama named at 18th man.
The extended bench features Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Lachlan Lam, Naufahu Whyte, Adam Keighran, Renouf Atoni and Ben Marschke.
The Sea Eagles welcome back experienced utility Dylan Walker to their side, whilst the rest of their squad remains intact from last week, featuring the likes of Tom and Jake Trbojevic as well as experienced campaigners in Kieran Foran, Daly Cherry-Evans and Martin Taupau.
Key Match Up: James Tedesco vs Tom Trbojevic
While there are plenty of intriguing matchups across the park, the battle of the two superstar fullbacks is just too hard to ignore.
Since joining the Roosters in 2018, James Tedesco has evolved into one of the game's greatest players, becoming a two-time Premiership winner in the Red, White and Blue whilst also developing into a leader both at Club and representative level, leading the NSW Blues to series wins in 2019 and 2021.
His opposite in Tom Trbojevic is coming off arguably one of the best seasons seen from an individual in recent memory, where he led Manly to the preliminary final and claimed the Wally Lewis Medal in the Blues' State of Origin series win.
Despite having two vastly different playing styles, Tedesco and Trbojevic have plenty of similarities; both have claimed Dally M Medals with glittering representative resumes, not to mention the fact they are two of the most dangerous players in the competition from the back.
What They Said
Your Verdict
The long-running rivalry between the Easts and Manly takes yet another turn on Friday night.
Two of the biggest superstars will be on show at the hallowed Sydney Cricket Ground, and your Roosters will be determined more than ever to return to their winning ways against a strong opponent in the Sea Eagles.
Be sure to grab your tickets here for what will be another blockbuster at the SCG, and cheer on the mighty Roosters!
