Key posts
Your say – which teams will win tonight?
TRY – Sea Eagles strike first through Turbo
And we’re off, with Warriors centre Ali Leiataua taking the kick-off and the first carry, the Warriors playing it simple in the opening set and halfback Luke Metcalf putting in a decent kick on the last.
Not such a solid first set for the Sea Eagles, with a poor Tom Trbojevic pass finding the turf before Warriors winger Taine Tuaupiki dived on the ball for a turnover. Manly’s defence is tested early with a whole Warriors set inside their own half, but they hold firm.
And then – they strike. A short-side raid down the right leads to a simple break for speedster Jason Saab after a nice ball from Reuben Garrick, and Saab draws the fullback and sends Trbojevic over for the opening points of the match. Garrick’s conversion attempt is a bit of a shocker, but Manly have the lead.
Sea Eagles 4, Warriors 0 after 5 minutes
Kick-off time
New Warriors co-captains James Fisher-Harris and Mitch Barnett have taken the field and joined a little handover ceremony featuring retired former skipper Tohu Harris, and now both sides are out there ready for kick-off. Great conditions in Auckland, 20 degrees. The Sea Eagles will kick off.
History (and form) on Manly’s side
The Warriors are the home side tonight but they’ve only won once in their past six clashes with the Sea Eagles. Tom Trbojevic has scored 10 tries in 10 games against the New Zealand side, and Manly winger Jason Saab ran in a hat-trick in his only previous visit to Go Media Stadium in Auckland.
Star Warriors recruit James Fisher-Harris has won eight of his last nine games against Manly, but they were all during his time at Penrith.
Tom Trbojevic makes a line break against the Cowboys last week.Credit: Getty Images
Warriors v Sea Eagles team lists
OK, onto the line-ups for tonight’s first game.
Warriors
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Taine Tuaupiki 3. Ali Leiataua 4. Adam Pompey 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Luke Metcalf 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Marata Niukore 13. Erin Clark.
Bench: 14. Dylan Walker 15. Jackson Ford 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Leka Halasima
18th man: 21. Eddie Ieremia
Sea Eagles
1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 18. Clayton Faulalo 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Jazz Tevaga 10. Josh Aloiai 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic.
Bench: 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Corey Waddell 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Toafofoa Sipley
18th man: 22. Dean Matterson
Warriors primed to bounce back
By Robert Dillon
Klemmer latest big name on the move
Elsewhere in signings news, former Kangaroos prop David Klemmer has agreed to leave Wests Tigers for St George Illawarra for the rest of the year. The Dragons freed up the salary cap space to get Klemmer by releasing winger Mikaele Ravalawa for the remainder of the season, although he remains contacted with the club for 2026. St George Illawarra had already been eyeing Klemmer in recent weeks, and urgently needed some new stocks in the forward pack after losing Ryan Couchman to a serious knee injury in round one.
Biggest NRL deal ever: genius or madness?
Laughing all the way to the bank: Dylan Brown.Credit: Sam Mooy
Plenty going on in the rugby league world this week, the biggest story of course being Dylan Brown’s monster 10-year deal to join the Newcastle Knights next season.
The Herald’s Christian Nicolussi has taken a closer look at the pros and cons of the deal – for both the Knights and the league – while Dan Walsh has analysed Newcastle’s tactics from last night’s win over the Dolphins and whether it’s a preview of things to come when Brown joins the team.
Trbojevic thriving after injury-free pre-season
By Christian Nicolussi
Tom Trbojevic has credited the confidence he gained from returning to international football with the Kangaroos – and a rare pre-season with no injuries – as the two simple reasons he was able to start the year in blistering fashion for Manly.
Trbojevic was outstanding in the 42-12 win over the Cowboys, and looked like he was genuinely enjoying his football at a packed 4 Pines Park.
“If every game was like that, when you’re playing on the back of a forward pack rolling down the field, and you get the time and space to do what you want, I’d play until I was 50,” Trbojevic told this masthead.
Trbojevic said he was in a good headspace after he was able to end his six-year absence from the Australian Test team, and helped the Roos to victory over Tonga in the Pacific Championships final.
That allowed him to enjoy his Christmas break, and return to the Sea Eagles in the new year with a focus on football rather than rehabilitating injuries.
Trbojevic suffered a shoulder injury in 2022 and missed the second half of the season, then ruptured his pec midway through the 2023 campaign.
“This year it was different. It was probably the first time since 2021 I was able to finish the year healthy.”
Your say – which teams will win tonight?
Welcome
Haumole Olakau’atu scores last week.Credit: Getty Images
Hello and welcome to our coverage of Friday night footy for round 2 of the 2025 NRL season, with the Warriors hosting the red-hot Manly Sea Eagles before reigning champions Penrith take on an down-on-troops Roosters side.
The Sea Eagles were in scintillating form in the opening round, dusting up the Cowboys 42-12, while the Warriors copped a 30-8 belting from the Raiders in Las Vegas. Penrith won the other NRL game in Vegas, a tight 28-22 battle against Cronulla, and they will start as very short-priced favourites against a Roosters team that was hammered 50-14 by Brisbane last week.
Follow all tonight’s action as it happens, right here.
