Penrith Panthers vs. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: Will the Eagles surprise everyone?

The National Rugby League of 2022 kicks off with a much-anticipated battle between Penrith Panthers and Many Warringah Sea Eagles. The match is scheduled to occur on 10th March 2022, at BlueBet Stadium of Penrith Australia.

The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles will arrive at the match with high confidence following a good season in 2021. The team won 16 matches and ended in the fourth spot with 34 points. While they managed to qualify in the Elimination round, they eventually lost to Melbourne by 40-12.

The defeat was definitely a tough blow for the team, who are likely to come to their next match well-prepared to ensure that they don’t undergo the same experience again.

The Manly features strong players. While everyone already knows of Tom Trbojevic and the problem he can create for the opposing team, there are various other key players in the Sea Eagles team this year. The main player to watch out for is Addison Demetriou. The winger has a lot of power and can prove to be a difficult player for the Panthers to stop.

If the season of Sea Eagles was good, Pathers had a great season. They finished in the 2nd spot with 21 wins, thereby accumulating 44 points on the scorecard.

There are various talented members of the Panthers team. Apart from the big names, Tyrone May has proven himself to be a versatile asset. Whether it be a fullback or a hooker, he has successfully assumed a lot of roles in the team since 2015.

Nathan Cleary, the captain, will be missing in action on Thursday’s match owing to a shoulder injury. Sean O'Sullivan will be making a debut instead.

“With a long and challenging season ahead of us, we must give Nathan the time he needs to return at his physical best,” said coach Ivan Cleary in a club statement.

While on the outside, the match may seem tilted towards the Panthers, with their continued strong performance and victories in the last season, it does seem that Thursday’s match will see an offset.

Tom Trbojevic particularly has been very lucky for the Eagles. Although he missed four opening matches, he put up the best individual season last year. Not to mention that Manly lost those matches in which Trbo was not playing. This included a 46-4 loss against Roosters.

With Trbo in the match, things can get very competitive.

Not to mention that the Eagles have won the last four matches they have played, that too by significant margins. Panthers, on the other hand, have won their last three matches.

The absence of Nathan Cleary in the Panthers team and the presence of Tom Trbojevic in the Eagles team means that the match is not a sure-shot win for the Panthers. Instead, keeping in mind the Eagles’ recent winning streak, the likelihood of them understanding where they went wrong with their previous Panthers’ matches as well as their current strong team means that the Eagles might take this one away!