After three straight wins the Sea Eagles received something of a reality check from ladder-leaders Penrith last week while the Warriors earned their second win in three weeks with a gutsy effort against the Cowboys.
Manly fought hard against the unbeaten Panthers and were in it right up until Penrith's 77th-minute match-sealer. They are entitled to carry plenty of confidence from their form over the past month.
That three-game winning run started against this weekend's opposition in the Warriors, with Daly Cherry-Evans' match-winning field goal a minute from time earning a 13-12 win that was celebrated like a finals game.
The Warriors have done well to sit in seventh after eight rounds but will be desperate to return the favour against Manly and take two points away from their home patch.
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The rundown
Team news
Sea Eagles: The Sea Eagles are 1-17 with Tevita Funa the last man omitted and Ben Trbojevic 18th man.
Props Josh Aloiai and Martin Taupau are out. Sean Keppie moves to the front row and Haumole Olakau'atu goes from the interchange into the second row. Aloiai may miss as many as 12 weeks with a wrist injury while Taupau suffered a head knock last week in the loss to Penrith.
Centre Moses Suli makes his return from a back injury via the interchange bench.
Christian Tuipulotu and Jorge Taufua were omitted from the reserves list 24 hours before kick-off.
The Sea Eagles have lost their past six games at Lottoland.
Warriors: A big in for the Warriors on game day with Chanel Harris-Tavita making his return from a foot injury at five-eighth in jersey 20. Reece Walsh shifts to the interchange bench and Jack Murchie drops to 18th man.
With Eliesa Katoa droppingh out on Saturday, Bayley Sironen starts in the second row. Tom Ale was the other player to drop out of the extended squad on Saturday and Euan Aitken was the last man cut an hour before kick-off..
Ben Murdoch-Masila is out after suffering a head knock last week.
The Warriors have won all four daytime games this season.
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Key match-up
Tom Trbojevic v Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: The two superstar No.1s are among the best players in the entire competition and each is the most important player for their respective team.
The transformation in Manly since Turbo's return has been stunning, while RTS has been at the heart of everything good the Warriors have done this year.
Stat attack
Speaking of those in-form fullbacks, Trbojevic has a try in all three games since returning from injury with four try assists while Tuivasa-Sheck has at least one try, try-assist or try-save in every game this year barring the round seven loss to Melbourne.
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