Round 23 tips: 'Spicy' personal duel to ignite do-or-die clash
Roosters legend Brad Fittler has predicted a "spicy" first meeting between Matt Lodge and his former club the Roosters, with Manly facing a do-or-die scenario at the SCG to stay in the finals race.
Currently sitting in 10th place on 25 points, the Sea Eagles likely need to win four of their last five games to scrape into the top eight.
And with clashes against top four sides the Panthers and Warriors still to come, Anthony Seibold's men can't afford a slip up when they visit the out of sorts Roosters at the SCG on Thursday night.
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Adding fuel to the fire of a cut-throat contest is the appearance of Lodge, who was sent packing from Bondi in June before picking up a train and trial deal with the Sea Eagles.
Matt Lodge (second from right) warms up with Manly Sea Eagles teammates prior to their round 22 match against St George Illawarra Dragons. Getty
According to Fittler, who is well connected at the Roosters, Lodge's start opposite his old teammates will be taken personally.
" ... the other interesting match-up is Lodge up against his old forward pack, I think that will be very spicy," Fittler told Andrew Johns on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth's Tips.
Lodge will make his third appearance for Manly since joining the northern beaches club, starting up front with Toafofoa Sipley up against intimidating Roosters front-rowers Jared Warea-Hargreaves and Lindsay Collins.
Fittler expected the clash of the forwards to be key to the result, while Johns was licking his lips at the prospect of Manly's right edge combination attempting to pick apart an area of the Roosters' defensive line that will include Luke Keary.
"The big match-up I'm looking forward to is Manly's right side - Cherry-Evans, Olakau'atu, Koula - up against the Roosters' left side edge, around Luke Keary and Billy Smith," Johns said.
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The right edge of the Sea Eagles has become a focal point of their attack this season, with Olakau'atu terrorising smaller defenders and the lightning fast Koula sniffing around for offloads or his own one on one opportunities when Cherry-Evans hits him out the back.
Regardless of this attacking weapon and the fact that the Roosters' season is virtually dead and buried, the Roosters are the bookmakers' favourites for the Thursday night clash, with both John and Fittler also picking them to prevail.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and Round 23 tips by all Nine's expert tipsters!
Nine's NRL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Brad Fittler: Roosters, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Andrew Johns: Roosters, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Paul Gallen: Roosters, Titans, Storm, Broncos, Knights, Sharks, Eels, Raiders
Darren Lockyer: Roosters, Titans, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Wally Lewis: Roosters, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Billy Slater: Roosters, Warriors, Storm, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Mat Thompson: Roosters, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Sharks, Eels, Raiders
David Middleton: Sea Eagles, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
James Bracey: Sea Eagles, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Michael Chammas: Roosters, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Peter Psaltis: Sea Eagles, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
The Mole: Roosters, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
Ben Glover: Sea Eagles, Warriors, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Eels, Raiders
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