KEY POINTS:
The Warriors will not be taking Manly lightly despite their withdrawal of five regular starters because of injury.
The NRL is satisfied the club is not "resting" players unnecessarily.
And while the focus has been on those left out, Sea Eagles returning after extended sideline stints include halfback and captain Matt Orford (thigh), Kiwi test centre Steve Matai (neck), utility Travis Burns (back) and NSW City prop Jason King (knee).
The Eagles have had just two training runs since they were beaten by Souths on Monday night. Ruled out after training on Thursday were State of Origin pair Brent Kite (back) and Brett Stewart (knee), Stewart's brother Glenn (sternum), Queensland centre Steve Bell (rib cartilage) and lock Luke Williamson (shoulder).
Into the squad come wing Michael Bani and backrower Vic Mauro, both 20.
Bookies in Sydney suspended betting on the game following a flurry of money backing the Warriors - suggesting a leak out of the club after players were told they were not travelling to Auckland.
Even as the odds were brought in, the backers kept throwing more money on and A$64,000 ($73,700) was laid in four hours before the Sportsbet agency put a hold on. When Sportsbet re-opened yesterday the Warriors were at A$1.36 to the Eagles' A$3.
The home team are looking forward to the support from a full house at Mt Smart tomorrow. There can be no complacency - lose poorly and it will be a long time before they see the stands packed again.
If the Eagles lose in Auckland, it would mean nothing to their finish place - they can't get first and they can't drop out of second. But it would mean a serious loss of momentum in the critical run-up to the playoffs, the sort of late-season loss that cost the Storm a premiership last season when they were thumped by the Warriors, the sort that cost the Warriors when they lost 44-0 to the Roosters in 2002 before losing to them again in the grand final.
A loss in Auckland and another at home to the Dragons in their last roundplay game would mean the Eagles might face a finals game away from Brookvale Oval.
And depending on other results, a loss could see them playing out of Sydney.
Under a new finals format this season, teams can earn the right to continue playing in their home city right up to the grand final. Lose once and you risk losing that right.
There is no way the Sea Eagles would want to end up playing finals in Townsville, Brisbane, Melbourne or Auckland. So bet on them to run out a strongly determined team.
The Warriors, conversely, would love to force their way into the top four and earn a home playoff.
The Bulldogs and Parramatta, who are in a tussle for playoff position with the Warriors, have slammed Manly's team selection as an attempt to manipulate the playoff table.
Eagles coach Des Hasler said the withdrawal of the five regulars was no ruse. The short turnaround had affected selection.
"If it was a grand final, some would play but some would still be touch and go. The coaching and medical staff at this club know what they are doing. It's about getting injured players right, and I'm optimistic they will all be OK for the following week," he told Aussie media.
NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said the club's decision was understandable.
"As we head towards the finals, clubs are less likely to risk players who are carrying niggling injuries. Manly have assured us that none of the players are being rested - they are all carrying injuries."
The Eagles have started hard and fast in most of their games, scoring first try in 13 of 21. The Warriors' starts have been erratic, but at home they bolt from the blocks and have scored first in their last four matches at Mt Smart - then going on to amass a total 180 points at an average 45 per game while conceding just 11.
Manly have won on four of their last five visits to Auckland but this is a different team with a different coach.
And the Warriors will take some heart from the fact they went down by just three points, 13-10, when the teams last met in Manly early in the season.
The sellout crowd, the biggest at Penrose since the Warriors made the playoffs in 2003, will no doubt have some bearing.
NRL stats show that referees issue more penalties early in tackle counts and few on the last tackle, that they give more penalties early on in games and that they give more to the home team. The Warriors will be banking on the crowd helping their cause with referee Paul Simpkins.
The game will be Wairangi Koopu's 150th. Only Stacey Jones, Awen Guttenbeil and Logan Swann have played more. Great prospect Epalahame Lauaki plays his 50th.
Coach Ivan Cleary knows Hasler from his Manly days and knows the Eagles will be competitive regardless of personnel. They have good players across the board.
Cleary said the game would give the Warriors a really good measure of where they were at.
They had talked about starting hard and fast and about improving their last-tackle options and the kicking game, all weaknesses in the loss to Canberra.
Cleary was not expecting a pre-game motivational talk. "I think everyone knows what's at stake."
