Manly have come back from trailing 18-4 just before half-time to score 32 unanswered points and claim a crucial 36-18 win over the Roosters at Lottoland.
The win consolidates Manly’s top eight spot, and they showed a lot of character in coming back when they looked in trouble in the first half.
Manly had a glut of possession early, scoring the first try of the match after earning four repeat sets from some deft kicking by Blake Green. They spun the ball wide for winger Matthew Wright to score in the corner.
The Roosters then took over, scoring the next three tries. Their first came in the 17th minute when hooker Victor Radley threw a short side pass from dummy half to put winger Daniel Tupou over.
Just four minutes later, Roosters centre Latrell Mitchell stripped the ball from Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans near the line and scored under the posts.
Then in the 30th minute, Mitchell put Tupou away down the left-hand side of the field before he turned the ball back inside for Luke Keary to score. The Roosters looked dangerous down that left edge for most of the first half.
At 18-4, Manly needed to score next. They did so after second rower Frank Winterstein steamrolled Roosters centre Joseph Manu and charged downfield, before drawing Roosters fullback Connor Watson and putting Tom Trbojevic over under the posts.
They went into the sheds trailing 18-10, but importantly they had a strong breeze at their backs in the second half. That next forty minutes was all Manly, scoring four tries to nil.
Their first try in the second stanza came after a slick interchange of passing between Dale Cherry-Evans and Blake Green either side of the ruck ended with Tom Trbojevic charging into a gap to score near the posts.
Seven minutes later, the Sea Eagles reclaimed the lead when Lewis Brown charged onto the ball close to the line and barged his way over. There was some doubt whether he got the ball down, but it was ruled a try on-field before being sent for a bunker review. There was insufficient evidence to overturn the decision.
Centre Brad Parker then scored a try after some hard, straight running near the line. He thoroughly deserved the try, as it was his defensive work that helped the Sea Eagles to earn that attacking set. He and winger Akuila Uate had driven Roosters centre Joseph Manu back more than 10 metres into his in-goal area to force a line dropout.
The Sea Eagles then put the icing on the cake on full-time when a flick pass from centre Dylan Walker put Uate away, before he turned the ball back inside for Cherry-Evans to score.
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