Pressure on the big three with depth to be tested

The Sea Eagles will have to rely on individual brilliance from Daly Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers if they’re to reach the finals — as unlikely as that is. When the big three are at the top of their game Manly is extremely difficult to beat. But like last year, they don’t seem to have a support cast capable of stepping up when their involvement is down. It will certainly help their cause if class back Dylan Walker is cleared of his pending domestic violence charges, as he offers another point of attack. But if the former Test player is found guilty of assaulting his partner,
Manly’s lack of depth in the back five could be badly exposed. They released Brian Kelly to the Titans, Moses Suli isn’t known for being reliable (sacked by the Bulldogs and Tigers because of a poor attitude), and the likes of Brad Parker and Brendan Elliot are hardly world-beaters. They will have to try and penetrate teams through the middle with their sizeable and mobile forward pack, and wily hooker Api Koroisau. Former Titans five-eighth Kane Elgey is a key signing. Cherry-Evans has long been crying out for a halves partner capable of picking up some of the playmaking slack to allow him time to pick his moments. If Elgey can take some ownership of the team, DCE will be far more dangerous and the Sea Eagles will be a more competitive unit.