Manly Warringah Sea Eagles recorded a 28-10 victory over Newcastle Knights at Brookvale Oval tonight in the Intrust Super Premiership.
In a catch up match, witnessed by the Manly NRL squad and coaching staff, winger Marli Sini and five-eighth Mathew Place from the Blacktown Workers’ Ron Massey Cup team pulled on the maroon and white jerseys for the first time.
The Knights opened the scoring in the seventh minute when centre Mao Uta dived over from dummy half. Five-eighth Jake McNamara converted for a 6-0 lead.
Manly hit back with a try in the 13th minute to new winger Marli Sini in his first game after joining the Sea Eagles from the Blacktown Workers Club. Second-rower Dylan Kelly converted from the sideline for a 6-all scoreline after 15 minutes.
A great grubber kick in behind the line by half-back Pita Godinet saw winger Ben Fritz dive over for a try in the 21st minute for a 10-6 lead. Kelly’s conversion attempt from the sideline fell just short of the posts.
Three minutes later, Godinet split the defence in a 30 metre run before sending full-back Lucas Price over next to the posts. Kelly converted for a 16-6 lead.
Second Half
Manly Warringah stretched the lead to 22-6 when Kelly converted a try from Tony Satini after the centre dived over from dummy half in the 46th minute.
The Knights pulled the margin back to 22-10 in the 53rd minute when winger Ken Tofliau scored in the left corner.
Kelly secured victory for the Sea Eagles when he swooped on a loose ball to race 90m to score in the left corner. He converted his own try for a 28-10 lead after 74 minutes.
It was Manly’s fifth win of the season and puts them six points clear of the bottom placed Newcastle. Manly have the bye this weekend in the Intrust Super Premiership.
Manly team
21 Lucas Price 2 Marli Sini 3 Jerry Key 4 Tony Satini 5 Ben Fritz 6 Mathew Place 7 Pita Godinet (c) 8 Liam Knight 9 Hugh Pratt 10 Addin Fonua-Blake 11 Fabian Goodall 12 Dylan Kelly 13 Jamil Hopoate; interchange: 14 Daniel Vasek 16 Halaufu Lavaka 17 Rhys Armstrong 22 Joshua Martin
Newcastle
6 Ryan Walker, 2 Ken Tofliau, 3 Akuila Uate, 18 Mao Uta. 5 Tyme Dow-Nikau, 22 Jake McNamara 7 Jaelen Feeney, 8 Uiti Baker, 9 Krys Freeman, 10 Tama Koopu, 11 Ben Stone, 4 Thomas Hughes 13 Bradie Smith. Interchange: 14 Kurt Aldridge, 15 Sam Bernstrom, 16 Michael Steele, 17 Roman Fepulea’i,
