Match Report: NRL Round 21 vs Sharks

A capacity crowd was in attendance for Golden Eagles Round with more than one hundred ‘old boys’ on hand for the occasion.

Manly found themselves trailing 30-6 at half time and on the end of an eight-tries-to-two defeat after 80 minutes.

The contest was back and forth in the opening exchanges before the Sharks made the first break of the match, leading to a Teig Wilton try in the 12th minute.

Wilton powered onto a short ball from five-eighth Braydon Trindall which followed a break through Manly’s left edge. The conversion was successful from halfback Nicho Hynes, to put the Sharks ahead 6-0.

Manly failed to cash in on their first real chance in good field position when Haumole Olakau’atu had the ball dislodged early in the tackle count.

From the next set, the Sharks were in again making it 12-0  after 18 minutes.

It was fullback Will Kennedy who collected the final pass after the ball went through several sets of hands following a bomb on the last tackle.

Manly fans were on their feet for the first time since the Golden Eagles’ lap-of-honour when Tolu Koula scored in the 22nd minute.

After a good set out of yardage, Jamal Fogarty delivered a nice cross field kick which was caught and tapped back to Koula. Fogarty converted from wide out to peg the score back to 12-6.

The Sharks were handed another set in good field position when Lehi dropped a clearing kick, and they turned it opportunity into points, extending their lead to 18-6 in the 27th minute

It was Kennedy who floated a long looping pass onto the chest of Ronaldo Mulitalo who crossed untouched in the southeastern corner. Nico Haynes added his third conversion from as many attempts.

The Sharks then went back-to-back with two converted tries in the space of four minutes to set up a 30-6 lead at half time. 

Hynes was able to crash over from 10 metres in the 35th minute before winger Sione Katoa finished off a play in the south-western corner. Katoa’s try came after Manly’s restart was kicked out of the full.

Hynes converted both tries to give his team a 24-point lead.

On the stroke of half time Manly second rower Ben Trbojevic was sent from the field after a heavy head knock.  It was his first game back after head knock against the Cowboys two weeks ago, and he did not return.

The points continued for the Sharks early in the second half when Mulitalo crossed for his second, taking advantage of an overlap on Manly’s right edge.

Hynes added another two points from the sideline to send his team out to a 36-6 lead with 35 minutes still to play.

Ten minutes into the second half and the Sharks crossed for try number seven.

Hynes beat Joey Walsh on the inside before finding Sifa Talakai in support who scored under the posts. Hynes added his seventh two-pointer to put his team ahead 42-6.

Sharks centre KL Iro then pounced on a Trindall grubber with about 15 minutes remaining to bag his team’s eighth and final try of the night.

Walsh showed a touch of individual brilliance in the closing stages, stepping past multiple defenders to score Manly’s second of the night.

The 48-12 win sees the Sharks retain the Steve Rogers Memorial Trophy, backing up their victory over the Sea Eagles in Round 13.

Manly are now four points outside the top eight ahead of next week’s bye, with five rounds remaining in the regular season.