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A sloppy Manly have succumbed 26-12 to Leeds in a heated World Club Challenge encounter at Headingley. The Super League champions scored five tries to two in front of a full house of more than 21,000 on a typically cool evening in Leeds.
The result continued Manly’s tardy pre-season form and provided new coach Geoff Toovey with plenty to think about a fortnight out from their NRL season opener.
The Sea Eagles start their campaign against the Warriors at Eden Park on March 4.
The tourists made a terrible start with co-captain Jason King dropping his side’s second touch of the ball from the kickoff.
The Sea Eagles looked tentative in attack and lacked composure against a willing if far from faultless Leeds side.
The hosts seized a deserved lead in the 19th minute when centre Kallum Watkins cut inside Steve Matai for the opening try.
Nine minutes later the home side stretched their lead out to 12 points after Ryan Hall sprinted nearly the length of the field after intercepting a Brett Stewart pass just metres from his own line.
The Manly fullback reduced the deficit to a converted try in the 32nd minute after steaming onto an inside ball from Kieran Foran.
But Hall ensured a 16-6 halftime lead for the Rhinos by slipping between Jamie Lyon and David Williams to collect a Kevin Sinfield cross-field kick for a simple try.
Rain started to fall in the second half but halfback Daly Cherry-Evans put Manly back within touching distance by sliding through the home side’s goal-line defence.
Five minutes later, Steve Matai caught a cross-field kick and crossed over only for the video referee to disallow the try because Brett Stewart shoved out a Leeds defender out of the way.
Five minutes from time, Leeds wrapped up the win with Ben Jones-Bishop finishing off in the corner before Carl Ablett finished the scoring with a try in the dying moments.
“We have travelled a long way, unfortunately our performance did not come up to our usual standards,” Toovey said.
“Very disappointed with our execution and decisions late in the tackle count but full credit to Leeds, they played better than we did.”
Leeds coach Brian McDermott praised his players for their try-line defence in the second half as Manly continually put them under pressure.
The performance of the Rhinos came despite losing the services of both Jamie Jones-Buchanan (knee) and Ryan Bailey (concussion) during the match.
“Some of the defence was as scruffy as anything,” he said.
“We had to do everything we could to keep them out, Sometimes it is like that on your own try line.
“It was brave and courageous.”
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