Last meeting: Round 11 2013 - Sea Eagles 16 bt Raiders 10 at Brookvale Oval
Head-to-head: Raiders 17 Sea Eagles 27 drawn 1
Referees: Ben Cummins, Chris James
TV: Live, FoxSports 1
TAB: Raiders $3.10 Sea Eagles $1.38 Draw $29
FootyTab: Raiders +6.5
Phil Mitchell writes: Beware the opponents whose coach has just been jettisoned. That’s the message Manly coach Geoff Toovey would have impressed upon his troops as the Sea Eagles prepare for their first trip to Canberra in five years. The Raiders announced the sacking of their coach, with David Furner making way for Andrew Dunemann. The weekend after Cowboys coach Neil Henry’s axing was announced, his team produced its best performance of the season to stun then-leaders Souths 30-12. While the Raiders have a less imposing line-up than the Cowboys, Manly won’t be underestimating the Green Machine.
Phil's tip: Manly by eight.
AAP writes: The Rabbitohs burst Manly’s bubble last week and, like so many other teams, controversy is dogging the Sea Eagles at the wrong time of the year. Coach Geoff Toovey is warring with the league and playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans reportedly wants out of the club. Manly’s troubles, though, are not a patch on Canberra’s with the Raiders in utter turmoil after sacking coach David Furner and seemingly losing control of star centre Blake Ferguson. And after a dozen straight wins in the national capital, the Raiders’ home fortress is starting to crumble too following back-to-back defeats. Another one would seriously dent the ninth-placed Raiders’ finals hopes.
Key: No coach, no Ferguson, no hope for the Raiders with the Sea Eagles hungry to stitch up a top-four finals spot and return to the winners’ circle three weeks out from the playoffs.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-match-preview/canberra-raiders-v-manly-sea-eagles-20130822-2se9v.html#ixzz2cgvNCQCT
http://www.sportal.com.au/league/news/preview-raiders-v-sea-eagles-249161
MISSING IN ACTION: The Raiders' main casualty of the season is now former coach Furner. Told of his sacking while on the golf course with some of his former players, Furner's removal has been surrounded by rumours of a major player rift at the team. Since then, captain Terry Campese, David Shillington and Brett White have spoken about the support Furner had from the side, with each player showing genuine disappointment and shock at his axing.
Campese, Jake White, Blake Ferguson and Edrick Lee are missing for the Raiders.
Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey has the luxury of naming an unchanged team for the match.
FORM:
It's not even worth really looking at form for the Raiders. They've got bigger things to worry about this week as they look to overcome a significant dent in personnel. Their only comfort is a Canberra crowd as they host the Sea Eagles for the first time since 2008.
The Sea Eagles, meanwhile, are well on track for the top eight. Their 10-22 defeat to the South Sydney Rabbitohs ended a run of six straight wins, though none of them were over premiership contenders. They finish the season with the Storm and Panthers but should be comfortably inside the eight and, at a push, the top four.
WE THINK:
The Sea Eagles should rub salt into the wound of Raiders fans after their week from hell. Despite sitting in ninth and only outside the top eight on points differential, Raiders management deemed Furner surplus to current requirements.
Given the absence of experienced stars Campese, Ferguson and Lee, we'll tip the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans and Tony Williams (LOL) to get the job done for Manly. Sea Eagles by 10.