Des Hasler will be looking for a solid response from his side after they suffered a crushing 42-point defeat by the Roosters in round one.
It will be hard to lift the Sea Eagles' chins up off the ground but if anyone can generate improvement in his players it's Hasler.
The Rabbitohs won't be in a charitable mood of course, as they will be hungry to put their first competition points on the 2021 ladder after the loss to defending champs Melbourne in round one.
And the Rabbitohs were far from disgraced in their four-tries-to-three defeat, although they did miss 22 tackles.
Manly missed a whopping 38 against the Roosters so we know where most of Hasler's focus will be in this week's preparations.
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The rundown
Team news
Sea Eagles: A late change for Des Hasler with Taniela Paseka coming into the starting side and Josh Aloiai reverting to the bench.
Kieran Foran picked up a cork in the loss to the Roosters but the five-eighth has been cleared to take his place, though at least a month-long lay-off for Curtis Sironen (knee) brings Jack Gosiewski back into the run-on side and Josh Schuster onto the bench.
Sironen and Morgan Harper were the two players to drop out of the squad on Friday while Tevita Funa and Toafofoa Sipley were cut an hour before kick-off.
Cade Cust, who scored three tries for Blacktown in NSW Cup, is back in the team while Sean Keppie bumps Morgan Boyle out of the 21-man squad.
Gun fullback Tom Trbojevic is at least a fortnight away with his hamstring injury so the experiment with Dylan Walker in the No.1 jersey appears set to continue.
The Sea Eagles have lost nine of their past 10 games.
Rabbitohs: The Rabbitohs are 1-17. Middle forward Liam Knight, having resumed contact training, has been ruled out again after missing the Storm game as his concussion recovery continues. Off-season recruit Josh Mansour was the other man to drop out of the 21-man squad on Friday.
Another recruit Jacob Host dropped out of the 17 after the first-up loss and his place is taken by Keaon Koloamatangi in the starting side. Patrick Mago is the new face on the bench.
Host and Tautau Moga were the last two players cut an hour before kick-off.
Wayne Bennett has declared prop Tom Burgess will be good to go after his neck injury last weekend against Melbourne. Burgess trained on Thursday and Bennett said he would be right to take his place against Manly.
Winger Alex Johnston has scored 11 tries in his past six NRL games.
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Key match-up
Cameron Murray v Jake Trbojevic: The Origin teammares find themselves as opposing locks on Saturday. Both players are near textbook-perfect in their tackling techniques and have engines the size of long-distance freight trains.
Murray made 49 tackles against Storm with Trbojevic racking up 43 in the Roosters game.
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Stat attack
Keeping with the defence 'theme' that Hasler must be hammering into his players, comes the fact the Rabbitohs were second in the NRL last year for line breaks - 116. The Sea Eagles were well down the list in 11th spot with 75.
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