Round 24 brought a stark defensive masterclass to 4 Pines Park as the Dolphins put on a clinical display to shut out the Manly Sea Eagles 22–0 on Friday, 14 August 2026. Punters eyeing the board ahead of kick-off saw the visitors heavily backed, with the Dolphins moving from 1.34→1.32 (firmed). Meanwhile, the home side drifted out slightly, with Manly Sea Eagles shifting from 3.29→3.3 (drifted).
The fixture carried plenty of intrigue given the contrasting form lines. The Dolphins arrived on the quick back-up following a high-scoring 40–32 victory over the Brisbane Broncos on Saturday, 8 August. On the other side, the Manly Sea Eagles were looking to spark a turnaround after dropping their previous outing 20–42 against the Melbourne Storm on Saturday, 8 August.
How the match played out
While previous head-to-head history earlier in April 2026 saw a high-scoring affair where Manly claimed a 52–18 win, this latest chapter was all about defensive resilience from the visitors. The Dolphins kept the scoreboard ticking over while completely locking out the hosts, securing a comprehensive 22–0 victory to solidify their standing on the ladder.
For punters tracking the totals, the 51.5 points line proved well out of reach as the scoreless performance from Manly left the total well underneath expectations.
How the tips went
Looking back at our published selections for this Round 24 clash, it was a mixed bag across the board. The head-to-head selection on the Dolphins got home comfortably at 1.3 as the visitors asserted their dominance.
The Dolphins -11.5 line selection also saluted, easily covering the margin in the 22–0 shut-out. However, the Over 50.5 total points tip fell short as the low-scoring defensive struggle kept the game well under the total.