Second-row partners one night, fierce combatants the next - that's how Ben Creagh and Glenn Stewart plan to spend their weekend.

Barring injury, the Country Origin back-rowers will run out for their NRL clubs 24 hours later when Creagh's ladder-leading St George Illawarra travel to Brookvale Oval to take on Stewart's third-placed Manly.

It's a familiar scenario for the two south coast products, who need to put their friendship aside whenever the Dragons take on the Sea Eagles.

"I'm pretty good mates with Glenn," Creagh said.

"Glenn used to be an Illawarra boy with his brother Brett so I've known him from way back.

"It is a bit weird playing in the same team then playing against him but that's just part and parcel."

The pair will be hoping to reunite for NSW after both breaking into State of Origin last year, and the admiration between them is strong.

"Glenn's a very tough player, very skillful as well and does a lot with the ball," Creagh said.

The two forwards will be among 13 players hoping to back up from Friday's representative matches for what could be one of the games of the season.

St George Illawarra, with five players in the rep teams, will be looking for a fifth straight win, while Manly, with seven on duty, appear to have shaken a hoodoo against the Dragons with two wins from the clubs' last four clashes.

Creagh said there would be no excuses for the rep stars not ripping in for their clubmates.

"Unless you're injured when you probably won't be playing, otherwise you're playing your club game, you've got to play as you usually do," he said.

"We all understand that, we know that and we don't want to let our teammates down back at the Dragons either so we're happy to do that."

St George Illawarra this week controversially named centre Matt Cooper (calf) after he withdrew from the City-Country clash, while returning regular prop Matt Prior (knee) replaces Beau Scott at right centre.

As well as Creagh and Dean Young in the Country side, they will be hoping wingers Brett Morris and Jason Nightingale and prop Michael Weyman get through Friday night's Test against New Zealand.

Manly coach Des Hasler named an unchanged side to the one which beat South Sydney but will need Jamie Lyon, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Steve Matai and Kieran Foran to survive the Test and Trent Hodkinson, Michael Robertson and Stewart to get through the NSW Origin trial in Port Macquarie.

At least a relaxing Sunday is on the horizon for the big names backing up.

"We'll probably have Sunday, maybe Monday off ... just relax for a couple of days," Creagh said.

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