Chris Sandow on the Eels outer again

Sandow is into the second season of a four-year deal with the Eels, who he joined from South Sydney, but will once again run out for Wentworthville in the NSW Cup this week against the Vulcans in Auckland.

This is despite an injury to Luke Kelly with the halfback role being filled by Ben Roberts, one of 11 players told by coach Ricky Stuart he would be leaving the club at the end of the year.

Former Bulldogs playmaker Roberts will wear the No.7 jumper against Manly with rookie Api Pewhairangi being promoted to first grade from the Magpies side to play five-eighth.

The Eels are looking to avoid a 10th straight loss to their bitter rivals, with the game having the added spice of Steve Matai and Mitchell Allgood going head to head for the first time since their brawl earlier this month at Brookvale Oval.

That game saw Eels prop Allgood sinbinned for punching Matai, with the New Zealand centre vowing to get revenge on the 24-year-old at Parramatta Stadium.

South Sydney young gun Luke Keary is once again named on an extended bench for the ladder leaders after his two-try salvo off the pine against the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Chris Sandow. Getty Image

Veteran Matt King has kept his spot in the Rabbitohs side after a brilliant return to action against the Titans following almost a year on the sidelines with a badly broken arm.

The former NSW star is still mulling over his future but said the prospect of winning a premiership forced him to keep playing.

"This might be a bit of a selfish answer but, if we were coming dead last, I don't know if I would have had the motivation to come back to play a few games and get the wooden spoon," King said.

"The fact the boys are playing awesome and I was a chance of being a part of that, it makes running up and down hills and getting up out of bed at 6am to do weights a lot easier."

Newcastle must do without former representative props Willie Mason and Kade Snowden for the home clash with Brisbane at Hunter Stadium after Mason was ruled out for a month with a broken cheekbone.

Snowden is suspended so David Fa'alogo and Zane Tetevano will make up the Knights front-row.

Sonny Bill Williams is out for the Sydney Roosters after taking the early guilty plea ahead of Friday's clash with Penrith.

Mitch Aubusson comes into the starting line-up in place of the Kiwi superstar.

And Canberra coach David Furner has again resisted the temptation to bring Blake Ferguson back into his side.

Ferguson played for the Raiders' feeder club Mounties last week on his return from an enforced four week break after completing an alcohol rehabilitation program stemming from indecent assault charges.

Furner has named the same 17 that defeated St George Illawarra to face Melbourne in the nation's capital on Sunday.

He was signed to great fanfare by Parramatta on a contract worth $550,000 a year - but Parramatta's Chris Sandow now finds himself behind a player unwanted by the NRL strugglers in the Eels halfback pecking order. 

AAP