Rugby League
2025-05-11 - Manly Sea Eagles vs Cronulla Sharks
A Sports Betting Pick by Stu
Rugby League : Australia : NRL
Sunday 11th May 2025 - KO 1605 AEST
Manly Sea Eagles
The Manly Sea Eagles have had a mixed start to the 2025 season, currently sitting in the middle of the NRL ladder in 7th, on a 4-4 record. The Sea Eagles have shown flashes of brilliance but have struggled with consistency, particularly when Tom Trboyevic doesn’t take the field.
This was showcased in his return from injury 2 weeks ago when he returned Manly playing very well and beating the Panthers who have now found form. The victory over the Penrith Panthers before the bye, was an excellent performance, claiming a convincing 10-26 away win.
Key players for the Sea Eagles include captain Daly Cherry-Evans, who has been instrumental in their attacking plays, and all the outside backs, whose speed and try-scoring abilities have been vital.
The return of Jake Trbojevic from a concussion and speedster Jason Saab from injury will further strengthen the team. The Sea Eagles' defence has been solid, but they will need to maintain their consistency to counter the Sharks attacking threats.
Manly Sea Eagles Team News – Saab and Jake Trboyevic return. No other changes expected.
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla Sharks have had a strong start to the 2025 season, currently sitting one spot ahead of the Sea Eagles in 6th on a 5-4 record. Under the guidance of coach Craig Fitzgibbon, the Sharks are relatively consistent winning 3 of their past 4, defeating Manly 4 weeks ago 24-18. Key players like Nicho Hynes and Briton Nikora have been pivotal, with Hynes playmaking abilities and Nikora's powerful runs driving the team's success.
The Sharks defence has been exceptional, ranking third in this stat 166 points for an average of 18.4ppg. Their most recent victory over the Parramatta Eels, where they claimed a 28-18 win in Magic round, showcased their defensive prowess against an Eels side that is a much better side with Mitchell Moses running out. The return of Addin Fonua-Blake from a groin injury is a huge inclusion and will further strengthen the team.
Cronulla Sharks Team News – Daniel Atkinson is the new face on the bench with Talakai out through concussion rules.
Odds
Manly start favourites due to their amazing home record, $1.72 to $2.15, the line 2.5 points and total points is 48.5
The Betting Verdict
H2H has Manly out in front, 24-15 from 39 matches played. The Sharks have had the upper hand in recent encounters though, winning five of the past six matches against the Sea Eagles. Manly win rate at home is 62% while the Sharks have struggled up until recently at this venue, 6-12.
Manly are also very strong after having a bye, losing just once in this statistic ever. The Sea Eagles are usually very strong at Brookvale oval too but haven't defeated the Sharks at the ground since 2019 and have lost five of their past six games against their southern rivals.
Cronulla hold a great recent record against the Sea Eagles and will not fear Brookvale oval as much as other visiting teams would. Cronulla also defeated Manly earlier this season a mere 4 weeks ago, 24-18 at home, Tom Trboyevic did not play this match and has scored 7 tries in his last 7 matches against the Sharks.
After no score through 35minutes, the Sharks scored 2 tries prior to the HT break, and another soon after resumption of play. Manly briefly hit some form to tighten the match right up, 14-12 but despite a late try to Manly, Cronulla prevailed by 6.
Key matchups to watch include the battle between the states NSW and QLD with Daly Cherry-Evans and Nicho Hynes. Both players are crucial to their teams attacking setups, and their performance could significantly influence the outcome of the game. Their short kicking game will be influential here and whomever does this better on the day will go a long way to assisting their team victory.
Given the recent dominance from the Sharks over Manly and especially at this venue you would think they would start as favourites, but Manly at home start ahead in the betting. This match looks to be close and with 3 of the past 4 matches being decided by 6 points or less, I suspect we are probably heading for another tight finish.
This opens the possibility of a 6.5 point Tribet $3.10 and 1-12 options with the latter my preferred option here, with Manly winning 1-12 returning a healthy $3.50.
If you are looking for a less risky option, combined points under 48.5 is the way to go here.
The Pick :
Manly Sea Eagles 24-18 Cronulla Sharks
