Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Round 26 Tips - Manly stay alive for now
The Manly Sea Eagles aim to keep their finals hopes alive as they face St George Illawarra Dragons in NRL 2026 Round 26. With attacking stars back from injury and momentum from a recent 44-24 victory, Manly is favored to cover the -7.5 point handicap and exceed 28.5 total points scored. Josh Feledy is tipped for another try after his recent hat-trick. St George Illawarra's struggling defense, which has conceded 30+ points ten times, makes Manly the clear pick in this matchup.
- Manly kept their finals hopes alive with a 44-24 win over Newcastle last week..
- The Dragons are closing in on the wooden spoon after another heavy defeat.
- Josh Feledy starts at centre after scoring a hat-trick last week.
- Kick-off is at 6:00 PM (AEST) on Friday, 28th August at 4 Pines Park, Sydney.
Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons, Round 26 2026 - Expert Prediction
Manly will do all they can to stay in the finals hunt, covering the 7.5 points as the favourite and helping their differential by scoring over 28.5 points.
- Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons, Round 26 2026 - Expert Prediction
- Head to Head
- Manly Sea Eagles Form Analysis
- St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis
- Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons Team News & Team Lists
- Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2026 Round 26 FAQs
Manly finally have their attacking weapons back on the field and, with their season still mathematically alive, the Sea Eagles are backed to build on last week's 44-point performance with another convincing win over the Dragons.
The Sea Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak with an impressive 44-24 victory over Newcastle, overturning an early 18-6 deficit before completely taking control. Tom Trbojevic's return immediately gave their attack another dimension, while Josh Feledy made the most of his opportunity with a hat-trick.
That makes Manly -7.5 the preferred line selection. The Sea Eagles have won three of their last four against St George Illawarra, with each victory coming by at least 10 points. That includes a 28-18 win earlier this season and a 40-24 victory late last year.
There is also plenty to like about Manly Over 28.5 team points. The Sea Eagles have scored at least 28 points in nine of their 10 victories this season, suggesting that when their attack clicks, it generally produces points in bunches. They now face a Dragons defence conceding an average of 29 points per game and coming off a 44-14 defeat to Canterbury.
Josh Feledy Anytime Tryscorer is the player selection after his breakout performance against Newcastle. Feledy scored three tries after replacing the injured Tolu Koula and has now been rewarded with the starting centre position. With Turbo, Jason Saab, Reuben Garrick and Lehi Hopoate around him, Manly's backline suddenly looks as dangerous as any in the competition.
- Manly have won three of their last four games against St George Illawarra.
- All three of those victories have come by margins of 10 points or more.
- Manly have scored at least 28 points in nine of their 10 wins this season.
- St George Illawarra have conceded 30+ points 10 times this season.
- Josh Feledy scored a hat-trick against Newcastle last weekend.
Head to Head
The Sea Eagles have won three of the past four clashes, beating the Dragons 30-14 in 2024, 40-24 in 2025 and 28-18 earlier this season. Each of those wins came by double figures.
The Round 6 meeting provides another strong reference point for the current handicap, with Manly already covering the -7.5 line against the Dragons away from home this season.
Manly Sea Eagles Form Analysis
Manly's finals hopes are hanging by a thread, but last week's performance showed what this side can produce when its attacking pieces are available.
The Sea Eagles ran in 44 points and made nine linebreaks against Newcastle, with Tom Trbojevic making an immediate impact in his return from injury. Manly scored 38 points after falling 18-6 behind and found attacking opportunities across both sides of the field.
Their overall recent form remains poor, with last week's victory snapping a six-game losing streak, but the return of Turbo changes the ceiling of this attack significantly. The Sea Eagles have averaged 24 points across the season and have consistently pushed beyond that mark when winning.
St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis
The Dragons' brief improvement came to an abrupt end with a 44-14 loss to Canterbury.
St George Illawarra had previously beaten Cronulla and the Wests Tigers, but their defence remains the major problem. They have conceded 651 points through 22 games, an average of almost 30 per match, and have allowed 30+ points on 10 occasions this season.
Their attack has also been the least productive in the competition, with just 358 points scored and an average of 16 per game.
Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons Team News & Team Lists
Team News and Lists are in our dedicated Round 26 Team List Article.
Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2026 Round 26 FAQs
- How to livestream Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2026 Round 26?
You can livestream the Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2026 Round 26 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside Australia, the WatchNRL app is the perfect solution.
- How to buy tickets to Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2026 Round 26?
To buy tickets to the Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2026 Round 26 game, check the NRL website or the official Manly Sea Eagles site.
Verdict
Sea Eagles are backed to carry that momentum into a -7.5 cover against the Dragons. Manly Over 28.5 points fits their scoring profile when winning, while Josh Feledy Anytime Tryscorer
Manly -7.5
Handicap/Line
$1.91 - 3 Units
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Manly Over 28.5
Team Total
$1.91 - 1 Unit
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Josh Feledy
Anytime Tryscorer
$2.40 - 1 Unit
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Josh Feledy
First Tryscorer
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