Match Report: Round 17 vs Wests Tigers

The game was headed for a scoreless first half before Jason Saab crossed in the 39th minute to give the Sea Eagles a 6-nil lead at half time.

Tom Trbojevic was given a forceful welcome to the centres in the 12th minute when he found himself on the end of a brutal hit from Jeral Skelton. 

The Tigers winger, however, came off second best and was later sent for a HIA which he passed.

The home side looked to have scored a few minutes later when Corey Waddell dived on a kick in goal by Daly Cherry-Evans, in a move which also saw referee Gerard Sutton take a tumble.

The try was not awarded due an infringement by Waddell who was deemed to have held back a Tigers defender.

The Tigers had a period of field dominance after a fumble by fullback Lehi Hopoate, but were unable to convert good territory into points.

Another chance for the home side went begging on the half hour mark when Saab was unable to collect a cross-field kick.

He made no mistake on his next visit to the scoreboard corner of 4 Pines Park in the final minute of the first half. 

This time he was on the end of a silky pass from Tom Trbojevic that earned his side the first and only try of the opening half.

Trbojevic played a role in the Sea Eagles second try just a couple of minutes after the break, this time popping up on the left edge, providing quick ball to Tolu Koula who handed on for Reuben Garrick to score.

Up 10-nil, it wasn’t long before the home side was in again.

It was a short side play sparked by a darting run from Luke Brooks and finished by Koula, with Ben Trbojevic delivering the final pass.

Garrick landed another from the sideline to put his team ahead 16-0.

The Tigers were next to score when Alex Seyfarth strolled through a gaping hole on Manly’s right edge from close range to peg it back to 16-4 with half an hour to play.

Manly scored off a similar play on the hour mark at the other end, Jazz Tevaga feeding Cherry-Evans, who sent Waddell through a hole untouched, to put his team ahead 22-4.

The Tigers had a few back-to-back sets at the Bob Fulton Stand end of the ground but were unable to breach Manly’s goal line defence, before losing captain Api Koroisau to a Cat 1 HIA with 13 minutes to play.

The 17-thousand-plus crowd was on its feet again in the 75th minute when Ben Trbojevic latched on to a deft chip kick close to the line from DCE, to score his team’s fifth of the night.

The Tigers added a late consolation when hooker Tallyn Da Silva dived over from dummy half to make it a 28-10 at full time.

The win lifts Manly above Cronulla to eighth place on the ladder mid-way through the round.

The Sea Eagles return to 4 Pines Park on Sunday week to face the South Sydney Rabbitoh on Golden Eagles Day in Round 18.