Sea Eagles ready for Grand Final Qualifiers
Author : Wayne Cousins Seaeagles Media
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles will chasing two Grand Final spots at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday, April 24, in the NSWRL Junior Representative Semi-finals.
The Sea Eagles tackle old rivals Western Suburbs Magpies at 12.45pm in the Harold Matthews (U17s) competition.
At 2.30pm, the Sea Eagles take on the Canberra Raiders in the SG Ball Cup (U19s) competition.
Entry is $5 (free for pensioners, children 12 years and under). Watch the live stream of both games here
The NSWRL put both age groups up a year for 2021 after the 2020 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sea Eagles supporters heading to Leichhardt Oval will see two very talented and exciting Manly teams who play some brilliant attacking rugby league combined with brutal defence at times.
The Sea Eagles go into the Harold Matthews Grand Final qualifier fresh from having last weekend off after finishing the regular season as undefeated minor premiers under Coach Adam McEwan.
This is one serious rugby league team that possesses lethal strike power led by centre and captain Josh Feledy and skillful five-eighth Latu Fainu to name a few.
Feledy has scored 17 tries in eight games this season, including a remarkable club record haul of six tries against Newcastle.
Manly recorded a hard fought 20-14 win over the Magpies in round four with Western Suburbs finishing the regular season in fourth place. They beat Central Coast Roosters 18-16 in the elimination final last Saturday.
The Sea Eagles have played in two Harold Matthews Grand Finals, finishing runners up in 2017 before claiming the club’s first title in 2018.
Manly Harold Matthews team vs Wests
1 Lehi Hopoate
2 Calvin Levy
3 Eli Sagala
4 Josh Feledy (c)
5 Revelation Sio
6 Latu Fainu
7 Ollie Cummins
8 Samuela Fainu
9 TJ Herring
10 Raymond Lole
11 Dylan Coutts
12 Roy Quiroz-Mapasua
13 Noa Faatui
14 Mitchell Taotua
15 Rene Bagon
16 Drew Williams
17 Rory Morgan
18 Zedrick Tupulua
22 Jake Smith
24 Max Taotua
Manly’s Harold Matthews results
Rd 1 d Parramatta Eels 22-14, Cabramatta Sports Ground; Rd 2 d South Sydney 30-12, Redfern Oval; Rd 3 bye; Rd 4 d Western Suburbs Magpies 20-14, Lottoland; Rd 5 d Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-10, Lottoland; Rd 6 d Newcastle Knights 40-0, Cessnock Sports Ground; Rd 7 d Balmain Tigers 48-6; Rd 8 d Penrith 44-16, Lottoland; Rd 9 d St George-Illawarra 32-16, Mascot.
The Sea Eagles finished the regular season in the SG Ball Cup in second position under Coach Brett Fulton.
This very skillful and dynamic team finished the regular season with the best for and against record and can quickly wrack up some points.
Manly has a very good and powerful pack led by the likes óf hard running props James Uesele and Faafetai Autagavaia while back-rowers such as Zane Dunford and Jack Gunton possess a good offload.
The hard work of the forwards certainly allows Manly’s exciting backs in Kaeo Weekes, Tolu Koula, Krystian Mapapalangi and Jamie Humphreys to weave their magic. Humphreys is also an accomplished goal-kicker.
Saturday’s elimination final will be the first time this season that Manly and Canberra will play each other. Manly are fresh from having last weekend off while Canberra recorded a 44-10 win over the Bulldogs.
Manly has never won an SG Ball Cup competition but finished runners-up in 1990, 1991, 1998, and 2019.
Manly SG Ball team vs Canberra
1 Kaeo Weekes
2 Uluaki Tuipulotu
3 Tolu Koula
4 Simon Tito
5 Cameron Brown
6 Krystian Mapapalangi
7 Jamie Humphreys
8 James Uesele
9 Daniel O’Donnell
10 Faafetai Autagavaia
11 Zane Dunford (c)
12 Jack Gunton
13 Siua Fotu
14 Kobe Fulton
15 James Malauulu
16 Hunta Saunders
17 Seturi Iakopo
19 Jake Watmough
20 Charlie Thompson
21 Beau Dwyer
