NRL Round 8 Preview - Sea Eagles v Knights @ LottoLand

Manly Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights @ LottoLand
 
Preview - The under fire Manly Sea Eagles will be desperate for a win when they host the 4-3 Newcastle Knights at Lottoland on Friday night. The Sea Eagles appear to be a Club in crisis, on and off the field, after two straight heavy losses to the Tigers and Eels, culminating in a 44-10 horror show against the Eels at ANZ Stadium last week. The Knights were fantastic in coming from 18-10 down to beat the Tigers 22-20 in Tamworth, as they continue their revival after three straight wooden spoons between 2015 and 2017. 
 
Manly Sea Eagles’ Scouting Report - Under fire Manly Coach Trent Barrett says Api Koroisau will play, despite being in doubt with injury.  Centre Brad Parker will miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury, with Lewis Brown to come off the bench. All eyes will be on Daly Cherry-Evans as he tries to steer this side back from a disastrous couple of weeks. 
 
Newcastle Knights’ Scouting Report - The Knighst have suffered a massive long term blow with Mitchell Pearce out for at least three months with a pec injury. Connor Watson’s return from injury is timely as he slots into the halves to partner Jack Cogger. 
 
Verdict - Manly by 1-8

Really tough game to call here as I think the Knights would have been morals with Mitchell Pearce available. However, this is a real siege mentality type game for Manly, back at home and, despite the place looking a mess from top to bottom at the moment, I can see them lifting emotionally for this game, even if it seems their season, as a whole, is in jeopardy and danger of imploding. Eagles to sneak home off the back of home ground advantage against a Knights team that would struggle without Pearce.