In our 80th Anniversary season, we take a trip down memory lane ahead of Friday night’s match between the Sea Eagles and Dragons in Wollongong.
Match: Dragons v Sea Eagles
Round 6 -
home Team
Dragons
17th Position
away Team
Sea Eagles
9th Position
Venue: WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Head-to-Head
The two clubs have met 38 times since the St George-Illawarra merger in 1999, with the Dragons holding a 24-14 winning record.
Manly’s first victory over St George-Illawarra came in 2003, a 38-12 victory that saw Ben Walker score two tries off the bench with new Manly CEO Jason King playing prop in the win at Wollongong.
Tough place to WIN
It might look pretty by the ocean, but WIN Stadium, Wollongong, hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Manly over the years.
Of the 12 matches played in the ‘Gong, the Sea Eagles have walked away victorious just twice, in 2003 and 2023.
Biggest winning margin
Manly’s biggest winning margin over St George-Illawarra is 32, set in the 2008 finals when the Sea Eagles crossed for seven tries in the 38-6 victory over the Dragons.
The Sea Eagles would then go on to smash the Melbourne Storm 40-0 in the biggest ever winning Grand Final.
Most points scored in a match
The Sea Eagles racked up 40 points in their big win over St George-Illawarra last season in a match that saw second-rower Corey Waddell cross for a double at WIN Jubilee, Kogarah.
Most tries scored in a match
Four times Manly has crossed for seven tries in a match against St George-Illawarra, namely in 2003, 2008, 2016, and 2025.
Most individual points scored in a match
Daly Cherry-Evans, the most capped Manly player of all, holds this record for the Sea Eagles.
‘Chez’ racked up 16 points in last year’s 40-24 win over St George-Illawarra at WIN Jubilee, Kogarah, through a try and six goals.
In doing so, he beat the next best record of 14 points shared by Ben Walker (2003) and current centre Reuben Garrick (2019).
Most individual tries scored in a match
Four Manly players share this record of three tries with former St George-Illawarra full-back Luke Patten.
Albert Torrens crossed for the first hat-trick in 1999 followed by Scott Donald (2003), Tony Williams (2010) and Michael Oldfield (2012).
Patten and Torren achieved their three tries each in the Dragons’ 20-18 win in Wollongong in 1999.
Most individual goals kicked in a match
Reuben Garrick (2021) and Cherry-Evans (2025) share this record with six goals for Manly against the Dragons.
