Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons Prediction: 19/10 about a Brookvale bounce-back

After back-to-back defeats, the Manly Sea Eagles look to get their season back on the rails on Thursday when they open up the NRL Premiership’s Easter schedule at Brookvale Oval against the St George Illawarra Dragons (kick-off 10:50 BST, 19:50 local).

The Dragons were big winners over the Gold Coast Titans in round six, so they arrive at the Northern Beaches with renewed hope after a slow start to the year. My Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons predictions follow, complete with latest team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons Odds

Despite their recent downturn, it’s Manly who are favoured for the win on Thursday. They are 8/13 with Betfred to get the job done in 80 minutes, implying a 61.9% probability of a bounce-back success for Anthony Seibold’s side.

Shane Flanagan’s Dragons are priced at 7/5 in normal time, with the draw 18/1.

St George get a 4.5-point edge from the handicappers on the standard two-way market, with their odds cut to 5/6 in that scenario and Manly’s lengthened to 10/11 given the one-try disadvantage.

Team News

Seibold makes a single change to the Sea Eagles side which was beaten 24-18 by the Cronulla Sharks in Perth last week, with Jason Saab coming back after an ankle injury to take his place on the wing.

Clayton Faulalo, who started in the number-five jumper at Optus Stadium, drops out of the 17.

The Dragons also make a change on the wing, with Christian Tuipulotu unavailable with a hamstring complaint. Mat Feagai is called up from 18th man to take his place in their only change from the win over Gold Coast.

Dylan Egan has overcome an elbow issue to be included among the substitutes.

Rugby League Odds

Sea Eagles by 13+ points @ 19/10

A Manly club on a two-game losing run and still reeling from the news that Daly Cherry-Evans will not be a Sea Eagles player in 2026, against a Dragons team with two wins from three and a new spring in their step? It should be a straight-forward away pick here, right?

Well, no. In truth, Manly are still the team to back here, and this is an outfit which normally responds to adversity with a really good ‘Brookie’ performance.

Seibold and his side are still well within top-eight contention, and given the Penrith Panthers’ drop-off this season the competition is wide open. They have more than enough quality and belief to make a good run this year.

And in the Dragons they face a side who have let good positions slip too much this term to be considered among the top dogs. Aside from their superb 14-8 win over the Melbourne Storm in round four they have offered come a cropper in defence, and Brookie can be an attacking paradise for Manly when they’re on their game.

I like the look of the 19/10 about a three-score win for the home team here, as I think there’s more chance of them picking up the two points than the 34.5% probability of those odds suggests.

Double Result: Sea Eagles-Sea Eagles @ 11/10

You could tell things weren’t going to plan for Manly against the Storm two weeks ago when they conceded in the first half. In their three Premiership games before that they had nilled the opposition in the opening 40 of each.

The manner of their blockbuster first 40s against the Cowboys (24-0 at half-time), Raiders (30-0) and Eels (12-0) just showed how ruthless the Sea Eagles can be out of the blocks, and I count on them doing similar on Thursday.

With each of their three wins to date having been built on big, uncompromising starts, I’m backing the home side to be in a fair amount of control at the break and then see it through in the second 40.

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