- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Manly Sea Eagles have started their season on an impressive note, taking down the Brisbane Broncos 22-14 in a high quality match at Suncorp Stadium.
The purpose of this first round match was to mark the 25th anniversary of the Brisbane Broncos’ first premiership match in 1988 – which was against the then-reigning premiers the Sea Eagles.
On that first Sunday afternoon in March at Lang Park, which has since been redeveloped into a world-class stadium, the Broncos thumped the Silvertails 44-10. Though they missed the finals that year, that match alone showed the Broncos could perform at the highest level.
But there was to be no repeat tonight. The Sea Eagles, minus Glenn Stewart, fielded their strongest possible side but fell behind 14-6 at halftime.
Whatever Manly coach Geoff Toovey said at halftime must have had an effect, as they would keep the Broncos scoreless in the second half and post 16 points of their own, to record an impressive victory.
The Broncos were denied the opening try of the match in the 12th minute, when Anthony Watmough was penalised for not being square on the marker when Andrew McCullough was attempting to score.
Scott Prince, playing his first match for the side since 2003, nailed the subsequent penalty and the Broncos went 2-0 up.
It didn’t take them long however to find their first try, a spectacular effort through Matt Gillett in the 19th minute. Prince again landed the conversion and the Broncos were up 8-0.
Manly hit back in the 27th minute through Steve Matai, but the Broncos immediately responded through another spectacular effort from Lachlan Maranta seven minutes later.
Three contenders for try of the year scored in the first half alone. The Broncos entered the halftime break 14-6 up.
It took the Sea Eagles nine minutes to respond in the second half through Daly Cherry-Evans, whom the team will rely on to keep the team in the top half of the competition this season.
Steve Matai had his second try four minutes later, whilst David Williams, coming off a wretched period of injury, showed glimpses of his best form by scoring just three minutes later.
That would be the final scoring act, and the Sea Eagles finished the match 22-14 winners.
On paper, this Broncos side is very unlikely to feature in the finals this season. Whereas last year they were trying to adjust to life after Darren Lockyer, they are now trying to do the same in the post-Petero Civoniceva era.
It appears as though this task will be very difficult, moving on from one of the longest successful periods in the club’s proud history.
What is now clear is that the Broncos have a lot of work to do if they are to remain successful for as long as possible. Only three players from the club’s last premiership, in 2006, played tonight – Justin Hodges, David Stagg and Sam Thaiday.
Another player – Scott Prince – captained the Wests Tigers to the ultimate glory a year earlier.
As for the Sea Eagles, they will remain one of the powerhouses of the competition for at least another year – and the success that Des Hasler helped establish on the Northern Beaches will continue well into the Geoff Toovey era.
Whether they can win a premiership in the Toovey era will remain to be seen.
Three players – the Stewart brothers and Anthony Watmough – were only getting started in their careers when Manly was going through a tough period, and only Watmough remains from the ill-fated Northern Eagles experiment.
Their loyalty to the club has seen them remain successful for an extended period of time; they have not missed the finals since 2004.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.