GIO Stadium will play host to Sunday's Round 12 NRL game between Canberra Raiders and Manly Sea Eagles. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Canberra Raiders heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canberra Raiders vs. Manly Sea Eagles game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Sunday May 21, 2023 at 4:05 pm
Where: GIO Stadium
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Canberra Raiders vs Manly Sea Eagles Odds
Canberra Raiders vs Manly Sea Eagles Preview
Canberra has stormed into the Top 8 thanks to five straight wins – though none of them overly convincing – while Manly has trended in the opposite direction and has slumped to 12th with three straight defeats.
The Raiders’ winning streak has exclusively featured margins of eight points or less. After nervy wins over the Dolphins (31-30) in golden point and the Bulldogs (34-30), they held off the Eels 26-18 at home in another nail-biter.
Blues hopeful Hudson Young was outstanding again, while Jamal Fogarty looks more comfortable in his role after a slow start to the year and Matt Timoko is developing into one of the NRL’s most dangerous centres.
Danny Levi makes a timely return for Canberra with Zac Woolford out due to concussion.
Following dismal losses to the Titans (26-10) and Broncos (32-6), the Sea Eagles at least showed some fight to claw back from 18 points down in a 20-14 loss to the Sharks last Sunday.
Jake Trbojevic’s early return from a calf injury is a huge boost for Manly (and NSW), while under-fire Josh Schuster comes in at five-eighth. The Sea Eagles have lost Josh Aloiai and Kelma Tuilagi, replaced by Samuela Fainu and Ben Condon in the 17 with Ben Trbojevic to start in the second-row.
Tom Trbojevic’s form and fitness remains a huge concern, with Daly Cherry-Evans in desperate need of some game-breaking help.
Manly has won eight of its last 11 against Canberra, including two of the last four clashes in the capital. Honours were shared last season: the Sea Eagles prevailed 25-6 in Mudgee, but the Raiders responded with a 48-6 drubbing at home in the penultimate round.
The Sea Eagles’ big ins and the Raiders’ inability to put together an 80-minute performance give the visitors a hope here. But the Green Machine has all the momentum and boast a solid home record in 2023 – expect them to find a way to the two points once again.
Content provided by Ladbrokes
Head To Head Bet
We're tipping Canberra Raiders to win at $1.57 odds.
First Try Scorer
First Try Scorer: Albert Hopoate at $12.
Canberra Raiders vs Manly Sea Eagles Teams
Raiders team: 1. Sebastian Kris 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Danny Levi 15. Emre Guler 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Ata Mariota 18. James Schiller 19. Hohepa Puru 20. Brad Schneider 21. Corey Harawira-Naera 22. Nick Cotric
Sea Eagles team: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Tolutau Koula 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Josh Schuster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Sean Keppie 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Karl Lawton 15. Samuela Fainu 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Ben Condon 18. Kaeo Weekes 19. Morgan Harper 20. Cooper Johns 21. Morgan Boyle 22. Gordon Chan Kum Tong