The Titans look to save face and climb off the bottom of the ladder when they host the Sea Eagles at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday.
After making the finals in 2021 the Titans have had a huge fall from grace, winning just three games all season and scrambling to avoid a second wooden spoon in four years.
The Sea Eagles find themselves two games out of the eight on the back of three straight losses and must turn things around quickly if they hope to be part of the finals action.
When these sides met in Round 6 it was Manly racing to a 24-4 half-time lead before taking their foot off the gas in the second term and hanging on to win 26-18.
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The Rundown
Team news
Titans: Skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is out due to the impending birth of his second child, which means Jarrod Wallace starts at prop after initially being named in the reserves. The Titans' other starting front-rower, Moeaki Fotuaika, reverts to the bench and Jaimin Jolliffe starts. Erin Clark returns to hooker following Aaron Booth's season-ending injury, while Tanah Boyd and AJ Brimson are once again the halves. Greg Marzhew will come off the interchange.
Sea Eagles: Kieran Foran is good to go after suffering a hamstring injury in round 21. Josh Aloiai will start in the front row in his return from a knee injury, switching places with Toafofoa Sipley who comes off the interchange. Josh Schuster joins the bench at the expense of Ethan Bullemor who is listed as the replacement player. Morgan Harper dropped out of the squad 24 hours from kick-off, with Brad Parker starting in his place at centre.
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Key match-up
David Fifita v Haumole Olakau'atu: The damaging back-rowers will be expected to provide plenty of attacking spark at Cbus Super Stadium. Both average over 100 run metres per game in 2022, with Olakau'atu having made 10 line breaks and scored nine tries in 14 appearances this season. After regaining a starting role in the second row a month ago, Fifita has been in good form and was huge for the Titans the last time they played Manly in round 6, scoring a try, setting another up and running for 131 metres.
Stat Attack
Manly maestro Daly Cherry-Evans has racked up 16 try assists in 18 games this season to sit third behind Mitch Moses (20) and Adam Reynolds (17). The Titans' leader in the try assist category is AJ Brimson who has laid on 12 tries in 18 games. Fullback Reuben Garrick and five-eighth Kieran Foran have 10 try assists each for the Sea Eagles.
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