Match Preview: Jersey Flegg Round 7 vs Warriors

The Sea Eagles are playing much better than the results have shown to date, which indicates an 0-5 record.

This Jersey Flegg side has shown that it is a team with plenty of strike power across the park matched by willing and very hard workers in defence.

Manly has been more than competitive each week and have been in every game except for one heavy 28-point loss to the Sydney Roosters.

Outside of that, the Sea Eagles next biggest losing margin was eight, followed by two two-point losses and a four-point loss. Manly have also had a bye.

Manly Coach Chris Crotty righty pointed out that the team just needs to better smarter in some decision making and to learn how to play two halves, not just 40 minutes.

It has been a hard lesson and one that raised its ugly head again in last week’s heartbreaking loss to St George in Wollongong.

The Sea Eagles showed tremendous spirit and determination to fight back from a 22-10 half-time deficit to go down 28-26 to the Dragons.

However, this time it was a poor start that saw the Dragons race to an 18-0 lead before talented Manly junior Benjamin Keene-O’Keefe continued his impressive form in the centres to score the team’s first try after 26 minutes.

Trailing by 12 at the break, tries to Mitchell Heather, Christian Taula and a second to Keene-O'Keefe saw Manly take a 26-22 lead.

Just when it looked like the Sea Eagles would grab that elusive first win, the Dragons crossed two minutes before full-time to break Manly’s hearts.

If the Sea Eagles can reproduce that second half effort in a full 80-minute performance against the eighth placed Warriors in Auckland this Saturday, then it will go a long way to securing a well-deserved victory.