Sea Eagles turn in dominant display in Flegg win

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles produced some exciting free flowing football to record an impressive 32-16 win over St George-Illawarra Dragons in Shellharbour on Saturday in round 22 of the Jersey Flegg Cup.

The Sea Eagles ran in five tries to three to finish strongly after overcoming an early 10-0 deficit to lead 20-10 at half-time. Five-eighth Latu Fainu showed his class with a hand in two tries.

The win keeps the Sea Eagles’ faint finals hopes alive with Manly in eighth place on 22 points, one win behind the fifth placed Storm subject to weekend results.

The Sea Eagles play the top three teams in their remaining four matches as well as the Dragons again.

The Dragons got off to a freakish start when they got the ball back from the kick-off after the ball bounced back to them off the boot of Manly half-back Harraydn Wilson. On the last tackle of the first set, centre Hayden Buchanan dived over in the corner for a 4-0 lead.

Five minutes later, the Dragons jumped to a 10-0 lead with a converted try to five-eighth Lyhkan King-Togia after half-back Ashton Ward sliced opened the Manly defence in the middle.

The Sea Eagles had a chance to score under the posts in the 11th minute but prop Kylan Mafoa lost the ball in trying to get his hands free.

However, the visitors quickly made amends when winger Charlie Thompson crossed in the corner off some nice passing from Wilson and centre Iverson Mapu-Satiu. Hooker Jamie Humphreys converted from the sideline to leave Manly trailing 10-4 after 15 minutes.

The Sea Eagles took a 12-10 lead after 28 minutes through a converted try to Koby Douglas after the centre ran onto a lovely short pass from five-eighth Latu Fainu to go over untouched.  

Four minutes later, Humphreys converted another Manly try, this time to Kobe Fulton after he burrowed his way over from dummy half to score next to the posts for an 18-10 lead after 32 minutes. Humphreys then landed a penalty goal to give Manly a 20-10 lead at half-time.

A try to Thomas Phillips saw the Dragons reduced the margin to four before the Sea Eagles replied very quickly when Wilson hit a gap to race away to score in the corner. Humphreys converted for a 26-16 lead after 55 minutes.

The Sea Eagles then all but wrapped up victory when Humphreys converted a try to Antonio Taufa in the 62nd minute when he pounced a on a Fainu grubber kick to score out wide for the 32-16 lead.

Manly now play competition leaders the Sydney Roosters at Wentworth Park on Sunday, August 6, at 12.15pm.