Right-edge review after Blake badly exposed by Manly

Marata Niukore's return from suspension poses a rare selection query for Parramatta if Waqa Blake avoids a ban himself after the Eels centre was badly exposed in defence in a heavy 28-6 loss to Manly.

Blake was a prime target for the Sea Eagles' largely unheralded left edge of Josh Schuster, Brad Parker and Reuben Garrick, with three first-half tries run in down his defensive channel.

Parramatta's right side had its issues without the ball throughout 2020 but Niukore's impressive efforts filling in out wide this year had seen those mostly put to bed until he copped a two-week ban for a high shot on James Tedesco.

He is available for selection again next week against the Rabbitohs – who though badly beaten by Penrith still boast Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell and Alex Johnston as one of the game's most lethal left edges.

Blake himself was one of several players to be put on report, for a late high shot on Manly's Karl Lawton, but Brad Arthur conceded his right side would come under review along with the entire underwhelming team performance.

"They got some joy there," Arthur said when quizzed on his right edge.

"A couple of them were when we were down a player.

"But we've got to have a look at that and just make sure we're working together as a team. And I didn't feel like we did anything together as a team today, both with the ball and without it."

The Sea Eagles led an emotion-charged rout of the Eels on their own turf after finding out club icon Bob Fulton had passed away only hours before kick-off.

Arthur said Parramatta had specifically addressed that exact scenario, but had no answers after Clint Gutherson's early try proved their last points for the afternoon.

"We were just off the pace. They beat us on every part of the field," he said.

"We knew they would have a lot of emotion in their performance, they backed it up and we didn’t.

"We knew that, we couldn't dwell on it. We needed to worry about what we needed to do and we didn't do anything that we wanted to do. I don't feel like we played as a team tonight."

As well as Blake, prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard was placed on report for the Eels, while the loss keeps them behind Melbourne in third place on points differential.