In a game that did not reach any new heights, Manly put a week they would rather forget behind them to beat the Warriors 32-12.
The loss was compounded with an injury to Shaun Johnson. Johnson was helped off the field and taken to hospital for scans with an ankle injury after scoring a try in the 26th minute.
Manly took the lead in the 10th minute with Jake Trbojevic crossing the white line from a Ligi Sao offload.
Matai then hobbled off with concussion after attempting a tackle and banging his head on the turf. From there, Jorge Taufua was denied a try from the video referee after it was deemed Tom Symonds interfered with a defending player.
After a penalty helped the Warriors downfield, Shaun Johnson stepped his way past the Manly defence to score a classic Shaun Johnson J try but it was bittersweet as he rolled around in pain and was helped off the field.
The Warriors withstood some Manly pressure to go into the sheds at halftime with the scores locked at 6-6.
After halftime, Manly were the first to score, with Jorge Tuafua latching onto a pin-point cut out pass from Kieran Foran to make the score 10-6.
A DCE inside grubber in the 48th minute that ricocheted off Nathan Friend’s knee and was picked up by Brett Stewart for Manly’s third. With Lyon slotting the kick from next to the post, Manly extended their lead to double figures 16-6.
Jorge Taufua got his second in the 53rd minute when some nice hands from Manly’s left side saw them go 22-6 up. Brett Stewart also got his second when he grubbered for himself and scored in the 67th minute to make the score 26-6 and put the result beyond doubt.
Albert Vete scored a consolation try in the 72nd minute, but it was cancelled out when Matt Ballin scored his first of the season after scooting out from dummy half to score under the posts.
After being criticised all season, the Manly forwards stood up and outmuscled the big Warriors with Jake Trbojevic being the standout. He ran for over 200m, making 25+ tackles and scored a try.
After Shaun Johnson left the field, the kicking duties were left to Chad Townsend and Sam Tomkins who could not get any momentum and did not work well together.
The question now remains, with the Warriors previously fighting for a top four spot, can they even make the eight especially without their chief playmaker Shaun Johnson?
Further, if Johnson is to return either this season or next, having suffered an injury to the ankle, will he be the same Shaun Johnson we have come accustomed to seeing?
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