Manly Warringah Sea Eagles recorded a convincing 30-12 victory over the Gold Coast Titans at Cbus Super Stadium today in round 15 of the Telstra Premiership.
Second-rower Curtis Sironen celebrated his 100th NRL game by scoring two tries in a match that Manly dominated in front of a crowd of 11,056 with a large majority being Sea Eagles supporters.
Manly players wore black armbands to honour the memory of 11-year-old fan Blake Rinkin, who died in a tragic house fire along with his twin sisters in Singleton on Wednesday. The Sea Eagles are rallying around the Singleton community.
The Titans opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a penalty goal to captain and five-eighth Tyrone Roberts.
The Sea Eagles turned down a chance to level the scores through a penalty goal from close range a few minutes later and the decision paid off when Sironen ran onto a short pass from hooker Manase Fainu to score in the sixth minute. Winger Reuben Garrick converted for a 6-2 lead after eight minutes.
Sironen then grabbed his second try when he latched onto a short pass from half-back and captain Daly Cherry-Evans. Garrick’s conversion hit the upright for a 10-2 lead after 26 minutes.
Garrick then crossed for his own try when he finished off a nice play to the right to score in the corner in the 29th minute. He converted his own try for a 16-2 lead after 31 minutes.
The Sea Eagles were in again a minute later when winger Jorge Taufua crossed for a try off a nice pass from Cade Cust following an initial break by Sironen on the previous play. Garrick failed to convert the try for a 20-2 lead.
Sironen was sent to the sin-bin with two minutes remaining for tackling Titans centre and former Manly team-mate Brian Kelly without the ball.
Half-time: Sea Eagles 20 Titans 2
Garrick extended the lead to 22-2 through a penalty goal in the 45th minute from next to the posts.
The Sea Eagles went to a 26-2 lead when Cherry-Evans put centre Moses Suli into a huge hole to score. Garrick converted for a 28-2 lead after 52 minutes.
The Titans pulled one back when winger Phillip Sami dived over in the corner. Roberts converted for a 28-8 scoreline after 56 minutes.
Gold Coast were denied a try to full-back Alexander Brimson in the 60th minute after the video referee ruled Jarrod Wallace had obstructed Cherry-Evans from attempting to make a tackle.
Sami scored his second try after finishing off some good work by Kelly for a 28-12 scoreline with 12 minutes remaining.
Garrick then landed a penalty goal from next to the posts for a 30-12 lead with seven minutes remaining.
