New Zealand Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles Prediction: More Manly magic ahead at Mount Smart
The New Zealand Warriors face a huge task on Friday as they look to respond to their opening loss in Las Vegas, with a red-hot Manly Sea Eagles visiting Mount Smart Stadium in round two of the NRL Premiership (07:00 GMT, 20:00 local).
The Warriors were well beaten by the Canberra Raiders on rugby league’s big trip to the USA, while Manly turned in an exhibition against the North Queensland Cowboys first up. Here are my New Zealand Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles predictions, along with the latest team news and Betfred’s match odds.
New Zealand Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles Betting Tips
New Zealand Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles Odds
The bookies are about where I am with this one, with the Sea Eagles heavy favourites for the win at 1/3. The Warriors can be backed at 12/5, which implies a 29.4% probability of a home win at the ever-vociferous Mount Smart, while it’s 20/1 for this one to go into golden-point extra-time.
On the handicap markets Betfred have landed at 7.5 points as the marker for the standard two-way bet. Manly are 5/6 to overcome that disadvantage, with the Warriors 10/11 to make the most of the edge.
If the Warriors are to win it is likely to be a narrow one, so the 16/5 available with Betfred at an implied 23.8% is a good bet for those who believe in the Wahs.
Team News
Perhaps the biggest shock about the Warriors’ 30-8 opening-day defeat to Canberra is that head coach Andrew Webster has sent the same 17 out to right the wrongs in round two.
The Wahs looked well-beaten early in Vegas, but Webster has shown faith in the players to go again and pick up their first two points at the second attempt.
Te Maire Martin has to sit and wait for his first shot of 2025, while Sam Healey has been initially named as the 18th man.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold makes only a single change having watched his side tear through the Cowboys last week.
Josh Aloiai comes in for Sio Siua Taukeiaho in the front row, with the former Catalans Dragons prop having picked up a knee injury. It should only be a short-term issue since it has been diagnosed as a bone bruise, but he skips round two due to the knock.
The good news for neutrals is that the back division which was so stunning in the 42-12 win last week remains intact for round two, with skipper Daly Cherry-Evans set for his 331st NRL appearance at half-back.
Manly by 13+ points @ 11/8
It’s important not to watch a single game in week one and extrapolate from there, but it’s equally impossible to not get excited about what Manly produced last Saturday.
The Sea Eagles were electric, taking a 42-0 lead with some scintillating rugby league and at one point looking like they would outscore the clock.
Their edges looked simply sensational against the Cowboys, and while I don’t expect them to be that good every week, simply because nobody can be, there’s no backing against them after a performance like that one.
They’ll win again at Mount Smart, I reckon, but not with quite as much swagger. The newly-named Go Smart Stadium is a cauldron, and not nearly as welcoming to Manly as was Brookvale Oval last week.
That will mean a win of three scores or so rather than five or six, but I still like the 11/8 available for a victory by 13+ points.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
Manly to win both halves @ 13/8
The Wahs were way off it in Vegas a fortnight ago, and that was with a healthy portion of the crowd wearing their colours.
Of course, it was no Mount Smart when it comes to partisanship, but I don’t think the venue alone can make up for some of the shortfalls on display in Sin City.
And against a Manly side which had everything flowing for the first 70 minutes in round one, I can see the Warriors being outscored both before and after the half-time hooter.
The Warriors might only have lost both halves on four occasions last season, but on face value there’s as big a gap between these two sides right now as the Wahs experienced at any point in 2024.
In a game not bursting with value, this looks a decent shout for an odds-against pick at 13/8.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.
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