KEY POINTS:
Manly were last night accused of unsportsmanlike conduct after coach Des Hasler omitted five key players from his team for Sunday's sellout National Rugby League (NRL) match against the New Zealand Warriors.
The Sea Eagles deny Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, Luke Williamson, Brent Kite and Steve Bell are resting and issued a press statement outlining each player's injury.
Australian bookmaker TAB Sportsbet temporarily suspended betting on the match, before re-opening with the Warriors as $1.36 favourites and Manly $3 outsiders.
Hasler's decision seems certain to give the Warriors a free ride into the top four with a win - infuriating fellow top-four aspirants Parramatta and the Bulldogs.
The Warriors have 25 points while the Bulldogs and Parramatta have 26 before playing Melbourne and St George Illawarra respectively.
Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad and his Parramatta counterpart Denis Fitzgerald both lashed out at Manly, saying Hasler's decision was not in the spirit of the game.
"It hardly helps the game. I bet they're all back next week - they all must be one-week injuries,"' Noad told Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"It's certainly not in the spirit of the game. My understanding is that more than 20,000 people have bought tickets to watch the New Zealand team play the side coming second.
"They're entitled to be upset.
"And does it help our position? No it doesn't.
"Here we are playing the premiership leaders (Melbourne Storm tonight) and the Warriors have potentially a free jump into the top four."
Fitzgerald also expressed anger at Hasler's decision.
"This move by Manly is foreign to the spirit of our game, which has been played for 100 years.
"Manly are robbing the Warriors fans who have paid good money to see the match. It is disappointing.
"Who knows, it could backfire on them. It's all about momentum. Look what happens to teams after the bye."
However Manly chief executive Grant Mayer denied his team were bad sports.
"We have always fielded the strongest possible side and to suggest otherwise is an insult to our medical staff."
Manly claim Brett Stewart has a knee injury, Bell (rib cartilage), Glenn Stewart (sternum), Kite (back) and Williamson (shoulder).
The Sea Eagles trained on Thursday for only the second time since Monday night's match against Souths.
"The short week turnaround has affected us with four players injured in the game against Souths and Luke Williamson failing to satisfy us that a shoulder injury had improved sufficiently to play," Hasler said.
Manly cannot climb any higher or drop any lower than second place with just two rounds remaining.
NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley was unconcerned at Manly's decision.
"The club makes decisions week to week based on which players are fit to play and which players aren't," he said.
"As we head towards the finals, clubs are less likely to risk players who may be carrying niggling injuries. On that basis, it is understandable.
"Manly have assured us that none of the players are being rested - they are all carrying injuries."
- NZPA
