Junior Reps: Round 1 Wrap

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles made a very strong start to their Harold Matthews Cup campaign, securing a hard-fought 24-18 victory over the New Zealand Warriors in Round 1 at Bruce Pulman Park in New Zealand.

It was a tug-of-war in the opening stages of the match, with neither team able to gain the upper hand in the first 10 minutes. Manly fullback Carlito Vesley provided an early highlight with a nifty 40/20 kick in the eighth minute, helping the Sea Eagles build pressure inside the red zone.

The deadlock was broken in the 10th minute when Warriors hooker Kayce Perese-Sukroo sliced through the Manly defence and showed impressive speed to score the opening try.

Manly responded through sustained pressure, with Vesley’s creativity eventually sending winger Zac Gedz over in the corner. Gedz was unable to convert his own try, leaving the Warriors narrowly ahead at 6-4.

Momentum swung in Manly’s favour just two minutes later when halfback Sam Clarke-Moar broke through the defensive line before drawing the fullback and passing inside to Riley Carter, who crossed under the posts in the 22nd minute. Gedz added the extras to give Manly the lead.

Clarke-Moar continued to trouble the Warriors defence soon after, launching a towering bomb that placed fullback Kaian Olsen under pressure. Manly regained possession, allowing Vesley to break through multiple tackles and score in the 25th minute.

The Warriors struck back shortly before half-time through forward Hemiata Togia, who took a short ball from hooker Agelu Malaesilia to score close to the line. Manly took a narrow 16-12 advantage into the break.

New Zealand regained the lead early in the second half when Malaesilia again created an opportunity, setting up a converted try to put the Warriors ahead 18-16.

However, the Sea Eagles responded quickly. Sharp hands from Vesley shifted the ball wide to Gedz, who crossed for his second try in the corner in the 42nd minute before landing a superb sideline conversion to restore Manly’s lead.

The remainder of the game was fiercely contested, with Manly’s defence standing firm under sustained pressure. Their resilience was rewarded in the 58th minute when a ruck infringement handed them a penalty, which Gedz calmly converted from 25 metres out.

Manly held strong in the final minutes to secure the 24-18 victory.

While Vesley and Gedz were instrumental in attack, second-rower Jayden Richards also impressed with his strong defence and consistent contact metres through the middle.

The Sea Eagles take on the North Sydney Bears at 4 Pines Park in Round 2 with kick-off scheduled for 1:00pm.

SG Ball Cup (U19s)

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have kicked off their SG Ball Cup campaign with a 28-14 victory over the New Zealand Warriors at Bruce Pulman Park, Takanini.

Manly came out strong, putting together a dominant first half performance. Their efforts to begin the game paid off in the 13th minute when Oscar Crotty crossed over to open the scoring, plucking a magnificent catch out of the air, from a cross-field kick from Lachlan Metcalfe.

The Sea Eagles maintained momentum deep into the first half, as Ashton Large crossed in the 28th minute to extend the lead. A deceptive scoot from dummy half left the Warriors trailing 10-0 at the break.

The Warriors struck early in the second half as Tyson Hansen broke Manly’s line in the 37th minute off a barnstorming run from 15 meters out to reduce the deficit to 10-6.

A well-executed short-side play saw Lachlan Metcalfe throw a peach of a pass to Taj Thompson to keep the Sea Eagles’ attack rolling with a well-worked try in the 40th minute.

Manly continued to control the contest, with Hussein Said powering through a tiring defence to score beside the posts in the 50th minute.

In the very next set, the Large brothers partnered up for an incredible long-range try. Onitoni threw the dummy to break the line before linking up with younger brother Ashton to score under the posts, putting Manly out to a 26-6 lead.

Despite being well behind on the scoreboard, the Warriors refused to give up. Bishop Neal crossed over in the 59th minute, and not much later Militonimolela Sikuvea crossed to add a couple of consolation tries to their performance. With a late penalty goal from Lachlan Metcalfe, the Sea Eagles finished with a very well-earned 28-14 victory over the Warriors.

Standout performers included halves Lachlan Metcalfe and Onitoni Large , as well as Ashton Large who all showcased their strong ball-playing skills in key moments throughout the contest.

Manly will look to back this performance up next week at 4 Pines Park when they take on the North Sydney Bears on Saturday the 14th of February at 2:30pm.

Lisa Fiaola Cup (U17s)

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles endured a difficult start to their Lisa Fiaola Cup campaign, going down 68-0 to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Round 1 at Hammondville Oval on Saturday.

The Bulldogs wasted no time asserting their dominance, opening the scoring in the first minute through winger Raneh Siteine. It marked the beginning of a standout performance, with Siteine going on to cross for four tries in a dominant display.

Canterbury continued to build momentum through first-half tries from Maleane Hala, Jayda Peo and Jaesynn-Ree Fatialofa, taking a commanding 36-0 lead into half-time.

Despite a spirited effort from Manly early in the second half, the Bulldogs maintained their intensity, with further tries from Lala Vaea, Jayda Peo, Jada Breeze-Gray, Suraya Kingi and Tamiia Paki-Smith extending the margin.

Canterbury’s strong ball movement and pace proved too much throughout the contest, as they completed a comprehensive 68-0 victory.

Despite the result, Manly fullback Ruby King stood out with her strong line speed, safe hands under pressure and consistent effort at the back.

The Sea Eagles will look to regroup and bounce back next week when they host rivals North Sydney Bears at 4 Pines Park, with kick off scheduled for 10:00am.

Tarsha Gale Cup (U19s)

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles underwent a difficult start to their Tarsha Gale Cup campaign, going down 60-4 to a dominant Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs outfit at Hammondville Oval on Saturday.

The Bulldogs took control early and never showed signs of slowing down, piling on the points in a one-sided first half to lead 42-0 at the break. Manly encountered Canterbury’s speed and physicality as the home side dictated the majority of the match.

The Sea Eagles showed some resilience after halftime, with winger Abbey Teuma crossing in the corner in the 43rd minute to score Manly’s lone try of the afternoon. Despite the response, the Bulldogs continued to add to their tally, concluding the game as comfortable winners. Nonetheless, the Sea Eagles showed plenty of heart and effort.

While it wasn’t the start Manly were hoping for, the focus now shifts to improvement and a quick response. The Sea Eagles will look to bounce back next week against the North Sydney Bears at 4 Pines Park on Saturday, 14 February, with kick off scheduled for 11:30am.

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