Dragons implode in 'memorable' Sea Eagles triumph
Manly have recorded a historic victory against the Dragons, blowing their rivals off the park despite having no players on the bench for more than half the game.
In front of a raucous Brookvale Oval crowd on Sunday, the Sea Eagles managed to secure a 30-14 victory off the back of a dominant display from Haumole Olakau'atu.
St George Illawarra suffered a setback before kickoff, with hulking centre Moses Suli ruled out in the warm-up due to a hamstring injury.
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An early bombed try for Zac Lomax sent a scare through NSW Blues camp, with the winger clutching at his shoulder before being cleared to play.
Olakau'atu scored in controversial fashion after Kyle Flanagan was clearly obstructed in the lead-up to Manly's second try, but the Bunker gave it the all-clear.
The hosts were left badly wounded by the break, with four players - Corey Waddell, Taniela Paseka, Toafofoa Sipley and Reuben Garrick - succumbing to injuries, reducing the Sea Eagles to just 13 players for the second half.
Manly showed plenty of fight after half-time however, with Luke Brooks and Ben Trbojevic both crossing for tries due to some lazy defence from the Dragons.
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A series of barnstorming carries from cult hero Nathan Brown got the fans on their feet and lifted the Sea Eagles side, who extended their lead to 10 points after the two Origin captains Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic combined.
Lomax appeared to have scored a try to get the Red V back into the contest, but replays from the Bunker showed he knocked the ball into a Manly defender.
Jason Saab put the icing on the cake for the Sea Eagles with seven minutes left on the clock, pouncing on a pinpoint Cherry-Evans grubber to score untouched.
"One of the most memorable victories here in a long time ... the Dragons are shocked to bits," Warren Smith said on Fox League.
The veteran halfback proved to be the major difference between the sides, registering three try assists and continuing to stand up for Manly with Tom Trbojevic sidelined.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 16: Ben Trbojevic of the Sea Eagles celebrates scoring a try during the round 15 NRL match between Manly Sea Eagles and St George Illawarra Dragons at 4 Pines Park, on June 16, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
"I don't know if I really know if I understand the magnitude of it," he said post-game.
"I knew we were short and we spoke about how we were probably not gonna have much left on the bench. To come away with the two points, I'm just enjoying the moment and enjoying getting the win at Brookie ... they keep turning out for us.
The loss for Shane Flanagan's side will see them miss out on an opportunity to move into the NRL top-eight, with their season record now sitting at 7-7 from 14 games.
"Without a doubt, I thought it was there to win," the coach said post-game.
"It was just some poor execution. Twice we got over the line - Zac on two occasions - but credit to them, they hung in there in crucial points.
"At half-time, we thought we were in reasonably good shape and it just got away from us in the second half. We need to learn from today and not have too many of them … there's some boys in there that have probably never been in this situation."
Manly on the other hand will leapfrog the Broncos and move into the finals picture.