nzherald.co.nz has live scoring of the first test between the Black Caps and India from 11am today.
The question this week is whether the Sea Eagles will bounce back from the psychological damage of the scandal following their season launch and a thrashing by 2008 wooden spooners the Bulldogs.
It is something the Warriors won't have answered until the opening exchanges of their game at Brookvale Oval on Sunday but certainly off-field unrest continues to swirl around the northern beaches club.
Warriors great Stacey Jones comes on to the bench to replace utility Lance Hohaia who is out for between three and six weeks with an anterior cruciate ligament tear to his right knee. It is Jones' 239th game for the Warriors since their inaugural year in 1995 and his first since the end of the 2004 season.
There is tinkering with the starting line-up that beat Parramatta, Jacob Lillyman replacing Ben Matulino, who suffered an ankle injury, in the second row and Sam Rapira running on while Russell Packer will come from the bench.
Juniors prop Leeson Ah Mau is sent back to the under-20s after making his debut last week, not because he did anything wrong but because of the toughness of the competition and the coaching staff's desire to ease him in plus the look of the big, experienced Manly pack.
Former Newcastle prop Jesse Royal, 28, is Warrior number 148 and Mt Albert backrower Ukuma Ta'ai, 22, joins him on the interchange as Warrior 149 to make his NRL debut. Royal, 191cm and 107kg, had two seasons with the Knights. He was released and intended working in the Hunter Valley coalmines this year before joining the Warriors just before the season start. Ta'ai is a big backrower who has played for Tonga.
"We said from the outset that this season is very much about working with a squad," said coach Ivan Cleary. "It's disappointing to be without Lance and Ben. They're both important players in our mix but it's great to be able to bring in players like Stacey, Jesse and Ukuma. It's an early test of our depth."
Eagles fullback Brett Stewart remains suspended by the NRL for drunken behaviour after the club launch on March 5.
"If it's a four-week suspension for being inebriated at a club function then four weeks is a tough call," was his coach Des Hasler's take on that but Stewart also faces court in April on a sexual assault charge.
In the boardroom, majority owners Max Delmege and Scott Penn are at loggerheads. Manly is in debt but requires investment for doing up both its home ground and clubrooms.
The Eagles returned a very poor completion rate in their 34-12 opening round loss to 2008 low-flyers the Bulldogs and missed a high percentage of tackles. Hasler afterwards denied that the Stewart case had any bearing on the outcome.
"What happened to Manly against the Bulldogs last week is of little significance to us," Cleary said yesterday. "They had a tough week leading up to that game but this week they're back home in front of their own people. That'll make a huge difference to them. The truth is we haven't been very good against them at all for some time."
* The NRL judiciary charged five players with grapple or chicken wing tackles after the weekend round, Parramatta's Weller Hauraki facing a two-week ban for a grade two offence but teammate Nathan Hindmarsh, Jeff Lima from the Storm and Penrith's Michael Jennings and Trent Waterhouse escaping with demerit points from a grade one charge.
Cowboys giant Manase Manukuafoa is also out for two weeks for a late charge on a Broncos kicker.
Dragons prop Justin Poore is out for a month with a fractured wrist. The Sharks have lost fullback Brettt Kearney for a month with a torn ankle. Prop Ben Ross is in hospital in a neck brace with an uncertain future after collapsing under the weight of three tacklers during pre-season.
Warriors
Wade McKinnon, Denan Kemp, Brent Tate, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Joel Moon, Nathan Fien, Sam Rapira, Ian Henderson, Steve Price (capt), Simon Mannering, Jacob Lillyman, Micheal Luck. Interchange: Stacey Jones, Russell Packer, Jesse Royal, Ukuma Ta'ai, Aaron Heremaia (one to be omitted)
Sea Eagles
Michael Robertson, Michael Bani, Jamie Lyon, Steve Matai, Andrew Suniula, Chris Bailey, Matt Orford (capt), Brent Kite, Matt Ballin, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Glenn Hall, Glenn Stewart. Interchange: Heath L'Estrange, Jason King, Adam Cuthbertson, Shane Rodney, George Rose (one to be omitted)
