Pathways Wrap: 23/02/25

The Sea Eagles Under 17s women’s team suffered a 24-14 defeat to the Panthers in Round 4 of the Lisa Fiaola Cup at 4 Pines Park.

The Panthers opened the scoring after five minutes when centre Vasaliva Feleti took advantage of numbers on the right.

Five minutes later Manly hit the front with a converted try after back-to-back penalties, when hooker Hiva Mahe dived over from dummy half.

The Panthers hit back to make it 10-6 in the 18th minute when Feleti made a break down the right, putting fullback Isabella Ferguson in to score.

The visitors went back-to-back five minutes later, making their way downfield after Manly failed to find touch. Replacement hooker Betsey Fifita dived over from short range to have the Panthers up by eight points at the break.

The Panthers were camped inside the Manly half for the first 15 minutes of the second half, and came away with back to back tries.

Feleti again showed speed and strength, sneaking down a short side to score, before lock Patricia Heihei stormed through the middle untouched, following a goal line drop out.

Down 24-6, the Sea Eagles repelled countless sets on their own line and made the most with their next visit to the Panthers’ red zone, when prop Paula Halaholo barged her way over.

Down 24-10, the fightback continued when winger Chaniel Berryman crossed to make it 24-14, and that’s how the score remained at full time.

Tarsha Gale Cup

Our Under 19s suffered a 46-16 loss to the Panthers in the Tarsha Gale Cup, which followed the Lisa Fiaola Cup match at 4 Pines Park on Saturday.

The girls stayed in the fight up until half time but could not stay with the powerful Panthers at the back end of the match.

The Panthers enjoyed the bulk of possession and field position in the first 20 minutes and opened the scoring with a weaving run from centre, Samantha Hanrahan, nine minutes into the match.

The Panthers added a further two tries to stretch their lead to 18-0 before the Sea Eagles hit back. 

Down a player when Elise Parsonage was sent to the bin, Manly winger Janita-Lily Leota-Brown crossed in the corner to make it 18-4.

Penrith captain Matilda Vella then scored on the stroke of half time to have the visitors up 22-4.

Manly were first to score in the second half when nippy No. 7 Ruby Jeffries found the line to get her team back in the fight.

Penrith crossed again through fullback Kayla Henderson, but the home side refused to submit.

Leota-Brown bagged her second try to have her team trailing 26-16 with only 15 minutes to play, but that would be their final points of the match.

The Panthers finished with a flurry, scoring four unanswered tries to blow out the final score line to 46-16.

Harold Matthews Cup

The Sea Eagles Under 17s men’s team defeated the Storm 22-4 in Round 4 of the Harold Matthews Cup at Casey Fields, Melbourne.

Manly scored after just three minutes when the Storm made a mistake coming off their own line. 

It was a short side play with a try-assist from half Max Prykiel who sent centre Tahj Hamilton on his way to the line.

Prykiel had another try-assist when Manly next visited the Storm’s red zone, combining nicely with Lucas Butler to put edge forward Khyanu Mahon over on the same patch of turf.

Hamilton played a key role in the build up to the next Sea Eagles try in the 11th minute, making a nice break downfield.

In good field position, it was then Boston Byrne who stepped his way to the line to have his team up 12-0.

Scoring at more than a point a minute, hard-running prop Cameron Makey was next to power his way over from 15 metres out to make 18-0.

The next Manly try was something special. Approaching the half hour mark, left winger Sonny Colella split defenders with a nice turn of pace from 70 meters out, then turned the fullback inside out to put his team up 22-0 at half time.

The Storm scored their one and only try two minutes after the break, in what was a stop-start second half, that saw Sea Eagles pivot Koby Morris put on report for a lifting tackle.

Both teams struggled to complete in the second period, with Manly securing a 22-4 victory, moving them up to fifth place on the ladder.

SG Ball Cup 

The Sea Eagles Under 19s men’s team suffered a thumping 48-14 loss to the Storm in Round 4 of the SG Ball Cup at Casey Fields, Melbourne.

Manly got off to a great start with a try to second row Hugo Hart in the second minute but were blown away in the second half.

A mistake at the back led to Melbourne’s first try with hooker Lockyer-Azile Foliola diving over from dummy half.

It was the first of four unanswered tries for the Storm, including a double for Foliola, who stretched their lead to 24-6 after 21 minutes.

Manly centre Brendan Couzens scooped up a fumbled bomb to pick up his team’s second try five minutes before the break, before the Storm scored on the stroke of half time to make it 24-10 at the interval.

Melbourne continued their momentum in the second half with both props finding the line, pushing their lead out to an unassailable 26 points.

Lightning quick fullback Amaziah Murgha grabbed his double with 10 minutes remaining before a very clever try with the ball moving from one side of the field to the other, to cap an impressive 48-14 victory.