Match Report: NRL Round 25 vs Knights

The Sea Eagles scored eight tries and kept their finals hopes alive while spoiling the party for the Knights who were celebrating ‘old boys day’ in front of a full house at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Manly showed courage and resilience to overturn an early twelve-point deficit, scoring three quick tries to lead at half time, before adding another four in the second half.

The Sea Eagles got off to a dream start after winger Lehi Hopoate’s clever pass out the back found Clayton Faulalo.

Playing his first game at five-eighth, Faulalo ran 75 meters, beat the final defender and scored the opening try of the match.

Halfback Jamal Fogarty converted from close to the left sideline, giving Manly a 6-nil lead after just two minutes.

Moments later, Faulalo was forced from the field for a HIA, which he later passed, after a high shot went unnoticed by the referee.

Before he was even up the tunnel, the Knights exploited the reshuffle on the left edge.

Centre Fletcher Hunt found a hole and raced away to score the first for the home side.

Halfback Sandon Smith’s conversion was successful, levelling the score in the 10th minute.

Newcastle skipper Kalyn Ponga continued to build pressure, forcing a dubious penalty from forward Nathan Brown, after a long line break from the Knights fullback.

The Knights gained the lead for the first time in the 15th minute.

Fletcher Sharpe’s well-weighted grubber found winger Greg Marzhew, who successfully grounded the ball millimeters before the dead ball line. Smith was unable to add the extras from the sideline.

The Knights extended their lead on the opposite side of the field when winger Dominic Young finished a long-range effort.

It came moments after a mistake from the Sea Eagles at the other end of the field.

Smith’s conversion gave the Knights a 16-6 lead.

Manly made another error sending the restart out on the full gifting the Knights another opportunity, and a subsequent penalty in front put the home side ahead by two converted tries.

It was a combination of two players returning from injury that delivered Manly’s second try.

Fullback Tom Trbojevic provided clean ball to interchange forward Caleb Navale, who was playing his first game of the season after returning from a knee reconstruction.  It was the Fijian international’s first NRL game in 351 days.

The try followed a low point in the afternoon for Manly as a nasty hip drop tackle from Young on Tolu Koula saw Koula forced out of the game with a syndesmosis injury, and Young sent to the sin bin.

The Sea Eagles too full advantage of the extra man and it was Koula’s replacement, Josh Feledy, who scored twice in five minutes to spark the quick comeback.

Fogarty maintained a perfect record, nailing all four conversions from a nearly identical position as Manly led 24-18 at half-time.

Just as they did in the first half, Manly was first to cross after the break, with Feledy completing a 15-minute hattrick 10 minutes into the second half.

Brothers Tom and Ben Trbojevic combined before Turbo was held just meters from the line.

Turbo’s quick play-the-ball and Feledy’s quick thinking from dummy half saw the ‘super sub’ cross for his third try for the afternoon.

Fogarty converted from wide out to skip Manly out to a 30-18 with half an hour to play.

Manly were over again on the hour mark their fifth unanswered try.

Centre Reuben Garrick went over untouched after he put through a hole with a nice ball from right edge forward Haumole Olakau’atu.

Fogarty’s first unsuccessful conversion attempt left Manly ahead 34-18.

The Knights were quick to respond as Hunt scored his second try just three minutes after Garrick’s four pointer.

A quick shift left forced Manly defenders to scramble, and Newcastle executed perfectly, sending the ball to their right edge and scoring their final try for the match.

Smith’s conversion cut the margin to 10 points with 15 minutes remaining.

The momentum stayed in favour of the Sea Eagles as they were gifted great field position through errors and ill-discipline.

Manly’s seventh try came in the 68th minute as Fogarty’s cross field kick created an aerial battle between winger Jason Saab and Marzhew.

The winner was Saab who leaped above his opposite number to score his 13th try for the season.

Fogarty was unable to add the extras; the score 38-24 heading into the final minutes.

Manly cracked 40 as Hopoate’s defensive pressure on Ponga forced an error and although he copped a falcon in the process, he was rewarded with a try, sealing Manly’s first win since Round 17.

Fogarty nailed the sideline conversion to round out a 44-24 victory, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process.

The Sea Eagles become just the fourth club to chalk up 1000 wins, joining the Roosters, Rabbitohs and Bulldogs to do so.

The Sea Eagles will look to achieve back-to-back wins back at home next Friday at 6pm, against the St. George Illawarra Dragons.