FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th 2025
Manly v Warriors
4 Pines Park, Manly,4.05pm.
Fading Flames at 4 Pines: Cherry-Evans’ Swan Song and a Slim Shot at September
As autumn dusk settles over Brookvale’s hallowed turf, the Sea Eagles face a moment of reckoning at 4 Pines Park. On Friday, September 5, 2025, Daly Cherry-Evans is set to run out for what is expected to be his final appearance in Manly colours, closing the chapter of an iconic 15-year career filled with calculated brilliance and emotional highs and lows.
For Manly, the script has grown perilous. Their finals hope flickers faintly, resting on a near-impossible scenario. A thumping win over the Warriors may keep the faint flame alive—but they must somehow overturn an 82-point gap in points differential with the Roosters, and rely on the Tricolours surrendering heavily to the Rabbitohs. And even if that miracle plays out, Manly would still need the Dolphins to fall to the Raiders on Sunday to pry open a path to eighth spot.
Amid the tactical desperation, the deck has been reshuffled. Tolu Koula is sidelined with a knee injury, opening a spot in the centres for Clayton Faulalo. Meanwhile, teenager Joey Walsh will feel the nerves—and thrill—as he is named on the bench for his NRL debut, offering a glimmer of youth in a season already in smoke.
But the turmoil extends beyond injuries and rotation. Prop Toafofoa Sipley, due to serve a hefty four-match suspension for dangerous contact, failed to win a reprieve at the judiciary this week. That leaves a void on the pack’s depth chart and puts his 100th NRL appearance in limbo.
This is more than just a game—it’s a crossroads. For Cherry-Evans, it’s potentially the final curtain amidst uncertainty and emotion. For the Sea Eagles, it’s a desperate scramble to hold onto the season, rallying around youth and grit. And for fans, it’s the hope that even the smallest spark might ignite something greater—however unlikely.
Sea Eagles
1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Clayton Faulalo 4. Tommy Talau 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Matthew Lodge 9. Jake Simpkin 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Corey Waddell 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jazz Tevaga Bench: 14. Joey Walsh 15. Caleb Navale , 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Toafofoa Sipley Reserves: 18. Aaron Schoupp 19. Navren Willett, 20. D’Jazirhae Pua’avase 21. Simione Laiafi 22. Gordon Chan Kum Tong.
Warriors Waiting on a Favour: Webster’s Men Eye a Final-Round Push for Fourth
For the Warriors, fate lies partly in someone else’s hands. By the time they step out at Brookvale, Andrew Webster’s side will already know whether their dream of climbing back into the top four is still alive. The equation is simple but far from certain: they need the Broncos to have stumbled the night before against the Storm.
It has been a rocky stretch for the Auckland club, with four losses in their last six outings dragging them out of the top-tier bracket. After missing the finals altogether last year, the Warriors are desperate to rediscover their rhythm before September arrives.
Webster has kept faith with his side, making just a single adjustment. Sam Healey earns a starting role at hooker, stepping in for Wayde Egan, who has been sidelined with a hip complaint. Stability may prove the key as the Warriors look to re-ignite the spark that carried them to prominence earlier in the season.
As the players run onto Brookvale’s turf, they will do so knowing whether destiny has kept the door ajar—or slammed it shut. For now, all they can do is prepare to fight as though fourth place still belongs within reach.
Warriors
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Adam Pompey, 4. Rocco Berry 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Samuel Healey 10. Tanner Stowers-Smith 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Marata Niukore 13. Erin Clark Bench: 14. Te Maire Martin 15. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava , 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Leka Halasima Reserves: 18. Taine Tuaupiki 20. Kalani Going, 21. Bunty Afoa 22. Edward Kosi 23. Luke Hanson.
Key Stats
The Sea Eagles have scored 98 points in their past two games.
The Warriors have won only one of their past six games at 4 Pines Park.
Sea Eagles winger Jason Saab has scored 10 tries in six games against the Warriors.
Officials
Referee, Todd Smith,Touch Judges, Dreadful Badger, Daniel Luttringer, Bunker, Chris Butler.
Do-or-Die at Brookvale: Sea Eagles Fight for Survival, Warriors Chase Form
At Brookvale, the stakes could hardly be higher. For the Sea Eagles, everything is on the line—season, pride, and a faint chance of September football. To scrape into the finals, they not only need to claim victory but to do so by a massive margin, before turning hopeful eyes toward the Rabbitohs, who must also punish the Roosters heavily. The arithmetic is harsh: Manly sit two competition points adrift and trail by a daunting 82 in points differential.
The Warriors arrive with different but no less urgent ambitions. Andrew Webster’s men have stumbled in recent weeks and now need to rediscover their rhythm, climbing as high as possible on the ladder to enter the finals with momentum.
Form, though, leans towards the home side. Despite the near-impossible equation, the Sea Eagles look sharper than their Kiwi visitors. And in a clash where desperation may trump calculation, the prediction tilts slightly in Manly’s favour.
Tip: Sea Eagles by 8.
Roosters v Souths
Allianz Stadium, Sydney,8pm.
Roosters on the Brink: Win and In, but the Rabbitohs Lurk at Allianz
For the Sydney Roosters, the equation could not be clearer: win, and they’re in. Friday night at Allianz Stadium sets the stage for one of rugby league’s fiercest rivalries, with the Rabbitohs standing between Trent Robinson’s men and a guaranteed ticket to September.
The Tricolours charge into this clash on a wave of momentum, fresh from a blistering 40–10 dismantling of the Storm that reminded the competition of their attacking firepower. Confidence may be high, but caution lingers—the Rabbitohs have nothing to lose and everything to spoil. For them, the chance to derail their neighbour’s season is motivation enough.
Robinson has resisted wholesale changes, instead welcoming back halfback Sam Walker from concussion. His return sends Sandon Smith to the reserves, with the rest of the Round 26 juggernaut left intact.
Victory will cement the Roosters’ place in the finals. Defeat, however, would throw open the door for the Dolphins to snatch their spot, making this showdown not just a rivalry clash, but a defining moment in the Roosters’ season.
Roosters
1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Robert Toia , 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase 6. Hugo Savala 7. Sam Walker 8. Spencer Leniu 9. Connor Watson, 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Victor Radley 13. Naufahu Whyte , Bench: 14. Benaiah Ioelu 15. Egan Butcher 16. Blake Steep 17. Siua Wong, Reserves: 18. Ethan King 19. Salesi Foketi 20. Sandon Smith 21. Tom Rodwell, 22. Makahesi Makatoa.
Rabbitohs Chase History and Rival Glory in High-Stakes Allianz Showdown
For South Sydney, Friday night carries meaning far beyond the ladder. Not only do the Rabbitohs have the chance to extinguish the Roosters’ finals hopes, but they also stand on the brink of history. Beloved winger Alex Johnston is just two tries away from equalling Ken Irvine’s all-time premiership record, and three from standing alone at the very peak. Few scripts could add more fire to the rivalry’s storied Book of Feuds.
The occasion grows even larger with a huge boost for the Bunnies. Skipper Cameron Murray has been named on the interchange, marking his long-awaited return from a pre-season Achilles rupture that sidelined him all year. His comeback injects leadership and energy into a side that has endured a 9–14 campaign filled with frustration.
Adding further steel is the return of Jack Wighton from suspension, shifting Tallis Duncan into the back row and Jacob Host onto the bench. They join Cody Walker and Brandon Smith in support, alongside Murray himself. The blow, however, is the continued absence of superstar Latrell Mitchell, who has failed to overcome a back injury.
With pride, history, and rivalry all converging under the lights of Allianz, this clash promises to be more than just a game—it’s a chance for South Sydney to carve another unforgettable chapter against their oldest foe.
Rabbitohs
1. Jye Gray 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Jack Wighton 5. Tyrone Munro, 6. Ashton Ward 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Sean Keppie 9. Siliva Havili 10. Keaon Koloamatangi, 11. Tallis Duncan 12. Jai Arrow 13. Lachlan Hubner Bench: 14. Brandon Smith 15. Jacob Host 16. Cody Walker 17. Cameron Murray Reserves: 18. Euan Aitken 19. Peter Mamouzelos, 20. Shaquai Mitchell 21. Bayleigh Bentley-Hape 22. Lewis Dodd.
Key Stats
The Roosters have scored 146 points in their last four games.
The Rabbitohs have won only one of their past five games against the Roosters.
Roosters winger Daniel Tupou has scored 11 tries in his last eight games.
Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston requires two tries to equal Ken Irvine’s premiership tryscoring record.
Hooker Connor Watson will make his 100th appearance for the Roosters.
Officials
Referee, Adam Gee,Touch Judges, David Munro, Matt Noyen , Bunker, Liam Kennedy.
Finals Fate on the Line: Roosters Seek Statement Win as Rabbitohs Plot Spoil
For the Sydney Roosters, the equation is simple but unforgiving—win, and September is theirs. Anything less could leave the door ajar for the Dolphins, who lurk just two competition points and 15 differential marks behind as they prepare to meet a depleted Raiders side. The margin for error is razor-thin.
Across the halfway line, the Rabbitohs are playing for pride, history, and the chance to wound their oldest foe. With skipper Cameron Murray back from his long Achilles layoff, South Sydney are desperate to make a statement. Nothing would please them more than toppling the Tricolours and dragging their season to a premature end.
For Trent Robinson’s men, this is more than just survival—it’s about legitimacy. If the Roosters are to be regarded as serious finals contenders, they must not only win but win well. A strong performance here could cement belief, both inside the dressing room and across the league.
Tip: Roosters by 15.
Comments