Sea Eagles: On This Day - March 31
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles recorded some great wins 'On This Day' of March 31 in our proud history.
Rd 1, 1968
The Sea Eagles began what would become a six game winning streak under Coach George Hunter with an opening round 28-21 victory at Penrith Park.
Les Hanigan, Fred Jones, Dennis Ward and Howard Whitaker scored tries for Manly. Lock Bill Bradstreet kicked five goals.
A dashing winger, Hanigan signed with Manly in 1967 and went on to score 16 tries to become the premiership’s leading tryscorer that season.
Rd 2, 1973
Pocket sized half-back Johnny Mayes scored his first try for his new club Manly in the 13-0 win over St George Dragons at the Sydney Sports Ground.
Mayes had spent the five past seasons at Eastern Suburbs and made an immediate impact at the Sea Eagles. He played all 24 games in 1973 and finished the season as the game’s leading tryscorer with 16.
Max Krilich also scored for Manly. A Manly junior, Krilich captained the Sea Eagles to a reserve grade title the season before.
Rd 3, 1984
Exciting young centre Phil Blake and representative winger Kerry Boustead scored two tries each in the 32-10 win over Balmain Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.
A brilliant attacking player, Blake (below) scored a club record 27 tries in the 1983 season to be crowned the Dally M Rookie of the Year.
Manly full-back Steve Hegarty scored a try and kicked four goals in the win over the Tigers in a match that saw Sea Eagles forward Paul McCabe sent off.
Centre Simon Booth, who played for Manly from 1977-82, scored for the Tigers as did full-back Stephen Humphreys, the current Sea Eagles CEO.
Rd 3, 1985
Manly second-rower Noel Cleal had a mixed game in the 24-4 win over Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Brookvale.
‘Crusher’ Cleal scored a try and also spent time in the sin-bin following a melee with Bulldogs second-rower Steve Folkes.
Kerry Boustead, Chris Close, Dale Shearer and captain Paul Vautin also scored for the Sea Eagles.
Rd 2, 1996
Skillful second-rower Daniel Gartner scored twice in Manly’s 36-22 win over the Gold Coast Chargers at Brookvale.
Owen Cunningham, Jack Elsegood, John Hopoate, Craig Innes and Steve Menzies scored for the Sea Eagles with utility Shannon Nevin kicking three from four goals.
Rd 3, 2008
It was a case of who didn’t score against the Warriors at the ‘Fortress’.
The Sea Eagles ran in 10 tries to one in a 52-6 thumping at home. Winger Michael Robertson and full-back Brett Stewart scored three tries each. Not to be outdone, second-rower Anthony Watmough crossed the tryline twice.
Half-back Matt Orford scored a try and kicked six goals in the win.
Rd 5, 2017
Manly centre Dylan Walker turned in a terrific performance in the thrilling 18-12 win over the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium on a Friday night.
Walker scored the first of two tries from a Blake Green grubber kick before running off a pass from Brian Kelly to race away to score in the dying minutes.
The two tries and three goals saw Walker score 14 of Manly’s 18 points.
Rd 4, 2018
Half-back Daly Cherry-Evans scored a try and kicked six goals in the 32-16 win over the Canberra Raiders at Lottoland.
Winger Matthew Wright bagged a double with the brothers, Jake and Tom Trbojevic, also scoring a try each.
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