The Parramatta Eels will host the Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night at Bankwest Stadium for the last Round of footy before the finals.
Here are five things you need to know about the game.
Last game before finals footy
Round 25 is the last of the regular season before finals footy kicks off.
The Blue and Gold has enjoyed huge success at their home ground, Bankwest Stadium, losing only two of their nine games there.
The Eels will have to beat the Sea Eagles by more than 12 points to leapfrog them into fifth place and will be keen to end their two game losing streak.
However, a home elimination final is guaranteed for both sides despite the result in Round 25.
A double turnaround
Both the Eels and Sea Eagles have made remarkable turnarounds from the 2018 season they’d rather forget.
Each team has jumped ten ladder positions since last season, with the Eels going from 16th (wooden spoon) to 6th and the Sea Eagles 15th to 5th.
Now, the premiership hunt is on for both teams.
Sea Eagles suffer devastating loss of Tom Trbojevic
Star fullback Tom Trbojevic has played a big hand in his team’s success this year, but they will be without him for the remainder of the season due to a pectoral tear.
His impact in the team was proven when he was out injured earlier in the season, and the Sea Eagles only managed four wins from ten games.
Brendan Elliot will be under pressure when he steps into the fullback role as his replacement.
Team changes
Two changes have been made to the Eels line-up with Ray Stone stepping up to the bench from reserve grade, pushing Peni Terepo to the reserves.
David Gower has also been dropped to make way for Tepai Moeroa on the bench.
The Sea Eagles will have wider changes, with Brendan Elliot slotting into fullback for the injured Tom Trbojevic.
Also sidelined is Jack Gosiewski and Morgan Boyle.
There is three new additions to the bench including Corey Waddell, Sean Keppie and Perrett
Kane Evans celebrates 100th NRL Game
Eels prop Kane Evans will notch up his 100th NRL game when he lines up against the Sea Eagles in Round 25.
The 27-year-old is in the form of his career, playing his best NRL season to date with an average of over 100 run metres each game.
A victory would be sweet for Evans’ milestone game.
