Two teams desperate for a win meet in the opening match of NRL Round 4 this Thursday, as the Sydney Roosters head to 4 Pines Park to take on the Manly Sea Eagles.
Manly Sea Eagles vs Sydney Roosters
There’s a bit of extra spice to this fixture, given it’s Daly Cherry-Evans’ first time playing in front of the Manly faithful since leaving the club for the Roosters.
Neither side has set the world on fire so far this season, with just one victory between the two clubs in 2026.
The Roosters began with a big loss to the Warriors, bounced back with a tight win over the Rabbitohs, then suffered another heavy defeat to the Panthers last week.
For Manly, they’ve had no joy so far, with losses to the Raiders and Knights.
LEG 1 - Sea Eagles +6.5
Manly may be winless in 2026 so far, but they’ve had the benefit of an early-season reset following a Round 3 bye.
Expect them to have spent the fortnight working on their defence after leaking 36 points to the Knights last match.
With the added motivation of playing against Cherry-Evans, it’s hard to see them getting blown away here. There’s a good chance they win outright, but they should at least keep things tight.
LEG 2 - Away Team Under 27.5
The Roosters are yet to crack the 27-point mark this season, posting totals of 18, 26 and 4.
They looked clueless in attack against the Panthers. Manly aren’t the same calibre opponent, but in a match that’s shaping up to be a gritty, physical contest, Sydney are unlikely to post their highest total of the season.
LEG 3 - Tom Trbojevic to Score
The Sea Eagles fullback has scored in both of their games so far this season.
Against the Knights, he looked sharp early, running for 109 metres in the first half before things fell apart in the second.
Given the Roosters leaked seven tries to both the Warriors and Panthers, a well-rested Trbojevic in front of his home fans should be hard to stop.
Same Game Multi
Sea Eagles +6.5 / Away Team Under 27.5 / Trbojevic to Score = $4.40
VALUE BET - Tolutau Koula to Score @ $2.37
Koula has a strong record at 4 Pines Park, scoring 12 tries in his last 11 games at home.
The centre averages a try every 1.3 games, scoring 17 tries in 22 games last season. He missed out against the Knights, but had scored in his previous four matches.
Running at Billy Smith and Daniel Tupou, Koula will fancy his chances here.
