Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have suffered their biggest loss of the season in the Holden Cup tonight.
The Sea Eagles were thumped 66-14 by the Sydney Roosters despite leading 8-0 after 10 minutes.
Full-back Tom Wright and centre Brad Parker – in his first game back from a knee injury – crossed for the early tries and things looked on course for a Manly side that had won their first two games of the season in fine style.
However Wright then produced a classic “Coach Killer” of a mistake that stunned everyone.
With his side leading 8-4, Wright fumbled the ball in-goal from a grubber kick before trying to kick the ball ahead, only for it to bounce off a team-mate’s foot for a Roosters defender to put his hand on the ball to score. The try was converted for a 10-8 lead after 21 minutes.
A few more quick tries to the Roosters saw the home side take a 26-14 lead into half-time with Manly’s converted try coming through a quick tap taken by captain Cade Cust.
What followed in the second half was just diabolical for the Sea Eagles with the Roosters running riot to race in 12 tries for the match in a shocking collapse by Manly who failed to score a single point in the second 40 minutes.
Manly Holden Cup team
21 Tom Wright 1 Luke Polselli 3 Brad Parker 4 Blake Andrews 5 Jade Anderson 6 Cade Cust (C) 7 Manase Fainu 19 Taniela Paseka 9 John Neil 10 John Tasi Tuivaiti 11 Jesse Martin 12 Josh Martin 13 Billy Bainbridge; Interchange 15 Elia Faatui 16 Haumole Olakau’atu 18 Cameron Davis 23 Keith Titmuss
