Match Preview: NSW Cup Round 12 vs Raiders

The Sea Eagles have won just one game this season but have shown vast improvement with some quality youngsters being added alongside experienced campaigners in a team that is at the mercy of the NRL side’s requirements.

Manly has lost their last three matches by margins of six, four, and eight points, respectively.

Last weekend, the Sea Eagles suffered a 26-18 loss to South Sydney Rabbitohs after the scores were locked at 6-all after 50 minutes.

Souths then ran in three tries, including one against the run of play, to take a 26-6 lead before Manly scored two late tries.

“I feel like we are not too far away from starting to win a few games with an 80-minute performance,’’ Kimmorley said.

“We have been consistent with how we have played over the past month.

“I thought we were very good defensively for 60 of the 80 minutes. We had to work extremely hard. Our completion rate was a little bit poor at just above 65 per cent.

“We made a lot of good ball errors and gave penalties away which allowed Souths out of their end of the field.

“On the back of that, we created a few really good opportunities to score in both halves but just couldn’t take them.”

Kimmorley praised the performances of some of the new faces in the Sea Eagles team.

“(Winger) Samuel Loizou was good in his first game for Manly. (Hooker) Jermayne Cook has had a couple of games now, Tex Hoy was positive in his first game at full-back for us, and (five-eighth) Onitoni Large did well in his first game up from SG Ball,’’ Kimmorley added.

“It’s great when players come up and just grab their opportunities with both hands.

“(Prop) Nicholas Bilsborough and (back-rower) Kylan Mafoa have done that from our Ron Massey Cup team. They have been very good when they get the chance to play NSW Cup.”

The Sea Eagles now play the Canberra Raiders at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan, on Saturday, May 23, at 3pm.

The Raiders have won three matches this season to sit 12th with the Sea Eagles two points behind them.