Manly Sea Eagles 16
Parramatta Eels 20
In miserable weather at Brookvale Oval, the Manly Sea Eagles have more than likely had their season ended by the Parramatta Eels in a four point loss, albeit in some crazy circumstances during the second half that left everyone scratching their heads and asking why?
>>MATCH REPORT: Semi stops Manly’s charge
The Eels throughout the second half held the lead and at various times should have put the Sea Eagles away but every time made baffling decisions giving away the ball.
Manly however, had plenty of opportunities themselves and whilst they made their fair share of mistakes, full credit has to be given to the Eels defence who were brilliant in holding Manly out for a number of sets in the middle of the second half right on the line when they couldn’t work it out of their own end.
Daly Cherry Evans however along with Feleti Mateo have played pretty well and Kieran Foran was also good. Brett Stewart couldn’t find any fluency to his game and it really hurt the Sea Eagles, whilst the injury to Matt Ballin made life hard. The forward pack also struggled to outclass and motor the Eels.
For the Eels Semi Radradra was brilliant both finishing and getting his team out of his own end whilst Corey Norman and Luke Kelly have controlled the game well on the back of their second rowers Manu Ma’u and Tepai Moeroa playing brilliant games of football against the Eagles.
The scoring began fairly early in the piece with Semi Radradra crossing in the 11th minute.
The Sea Eagles still looked to be in the sheds as the Eels flew out of the blocks taking all the possession and controlling the field territory. On the back of a Sea Eagles mistake, the Eels had a scrum 30 metres out and a good ball to Ryan Morgan put him through the line before he passed to Radradra who raced away to score.
Steve Matai answered back in the 20th minute for the Sea Eagles with a brilliant play from Kieran Foran who raced through the line and then offloaded to Matai who scored untouched.
The Eels then bounced back with another to Radradra. Norman drifted to the right and then threw a terrific long cut out pass for Radradra to cross in the corner.
The Sea Eagles then bounced back and leveled the game up in the 32nd minute with a try to Peta Hiku in the face of some terrible defence when he shouldn’t have even got close to the try line.
The Eels made sure they would take the half time lead though when Manu Ma’u crossed off the back of a brilliant inside ball from Reece Robinson who had created a gaping hole in the line.
At halftime, the Eels would hold a 4 point lead and 62% of possession making it hard for a Manly side who were displaying a poor attitude to get into the game.
At the start of the second half, looking to keep their season alive everyone would have been expecting the Sea Eagles to come firing out of the sheds, however a penalty given away in the first set of six led to the Eels marching down the field and Bureta Faraiimo being able to dart of dummy half and score the softest of tries.
The conversion game the Eels a 10 point lead before down the other end of the ground the Eels made a sloppy error and some desperation to keep it alive from James Hasson saw him toe the ball through and score a try next to the post.
With the gap back to four points between the two sides, it would turn out to be the last of the scoring as the error counts built up and the frustration of fans and coaches became obvious.
The Eels with the lead decided to play like they were 30 behind whilst the Sea Eagles just couldn’t find a way through despite having a number of sets in a row on the Eels line during the middle stanza.
With about 12 minutes to go Luke Kelly almost had a 40/20 before Brett Stewart produced one of the plays of the season to keep the ball in. You felt it might have turned the game around but it didn’t, the Sea Eagles only getting worse.
With one final chance on the attack the Sea Eagles made one last error effectively ending their season. For them to make the finals it will be all down to the St George Illawarra Dragons losing one or both of their games in a big way now with Manly winning their games.
In the end at Brookvale though, a strange game in miserable conditions sees the Eels pull an upset of massive proportions.
The resurgent Manly Sea Eagles continue their push for the NRL finals when they host the struggling Parramatta Eels at Brookvale Oval. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3:45pm (AEST).
In Round 1 the Eels managed to spring an upset, winning by 30 in a canter.
Since then the Eels have flopped and the Sea Eagles have come good just in time to have a crack at the finals.
Manly currently sit ninth on the table, and need the win to keep pace with the eighth-placed Dragons, who pulled two points clear of the Eagles with Thursday’s win over Penrith.
The Eels meanwhile are out of finals contention after another season to forget. Coming into Round 24 they are 13th, having won eight games for the season.
With only pride to play for, the Eels gave the Roosters a scare last week, but ultimately went down in the second half.
In team news, the Sea Eagles have Josh Starling and Ligi Sao swapping between the front row and interchange bench, with Brenton Lawrence added as 18th man.
The Eels meanwhile welcome back Will Hopoate into the centres, with Vai Toutai missing out. Nathan Peats is also out, which elevates Isaac De Gois to start at hooker and Daniel Alvaro on the bench.
If the Eels forwards can get over the top of Manly’s pack it will put increased pressure on Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran. The Eels also need to shut down Brett Stewart, who has an incredible try-scoring record at Brookvale, making Corey Norman’s kicking game key.
Manly hold an impressive record against the Eels at this venue, with Parramatta having only won 17 from 60 at Brookvale.
Prediction
The Sea Eagles are on a roll, and will be incredibly hard to stop as they push for a finals berth.
Sea Eagles by 16.
Join The Roar for live coverage of this clash from 3:45pm (AEST), and don’t forget to comment if you’re following along.
Handynummer Orten
Guest
As the Eels take on the Raiders this weekend, Head Coach Brad Arthur says the game will provide a good opportunity for his side to repay the Blue and . Winger Semi Radradra's try-scoring record in 2015 has already introduced the Blue and Gold to a Fijian classic, thanks to his try-scoring song Waideba.
pete bloor
Guest
I think every team feels like that... which probably means they are all in the right spot?
jeandetroyes
Guest
What the hell happened there? It was (the normally reliable) Jamie Lyon's worst game for years and Manly's hearts just weren't in it from the outset. Horrible game by both sides, but not the only poor game in the round by a long way (at least 3 others come to mind). Geoff Toovey summed it up well at the press conference - Manly were lucky the other team was as bad as they were, or the scoreline would have been embarrassing. Pity he didn't call for an investigation.
Parrafan
Guest
Well the eels tried very hard to lose that game. Came away with a win with 11 of their top 25 out for the season. Very gutsy effort. Had memories of round 3 last year in my head but thankfully Matai dint spoil the party this time.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Well they'll play again in two weeks with a little more on the line and both Ennis and the 'other guy' back... Find out more then. I don't reckon the quality of play has been down in fact it's been quicker, more intense and much more entertaining with actual rugby league being played.... Mainly thanks to there being a lot less wrestle - the years where wrestling was front and centre of who won the competition are gone.... That in my mind is when the competition was slow and average. Sure there's been some dud games this year ( as there is every year) but there's been plenty more of high quality.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
You were missing Ennis and a guy who turns out for you when time allows it. Wasn't even a close contest. The NRL has always been competitive and open. It's a great competition. But this year the quality of play is well down.
Scott Pryde
Expert
The Eels didn't turn up with the right attitude. That second half was mind blowing for a lot of it and as a Dragons fan incredibly painful.
Ben
Guest
To be honest as an Eels fan it hurts but at the same time you get used to it. Our time will come round again, just takes a while to get here.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me today for The Roar's live coverage of the 2015 NRL Season as we got a step closer to finding out the final top eight, with the Parramatta Eels beating the Manly Sea Eagles. Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage. Be sure to tune in tomorrow night for Monday Night Football right here on The Roar. I'll be back next weekend with more action from the NRL. Have a good evening!
Scott Pryde
Expert
Renegade is right, it has been an awesome season. Eagle Jack is also right. Any team can beat any team on their day.
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME: Manly Sea Eagles 16 Parramatta Eels 20 In miserable weather at Brookvale Oval, the Manly Sea Eagles have more than likely had their season ended by the Parramatta Eels in a four point loss, all be it in some crazy circumstances during the second half that left everyone scratching their heads and asking why? The Eels throughout the second half, held the lead and at various times should have put the Sea Eagles away but every time made baffling decisions giving away the ball. Manly however, had plenty of opportunities themselves and whilst they made their fair share of mistakes, full credit has to be given to the Eels defence who were brilliant in holding Manly out for a number of sets in the middle of the second half right on the line when they couldn't work it out of their own end. Daly Cherry Evans however along with Feleti Mateo have played pretty well and Kieran Foran was also good. Brett Stewart couldn't find any fluency to his game and it really hurt the Sea Eagles, whilst the injury to Matt Ballin made life hard. The forward pack also struggled to outclass and motor the Eels. For the Eels Semi Radradra was brilliant both finishing and getting his team out of his own end whilst Corey Norman and Luke Kelly have controlled the game well on the back of their second rowers Manu Ma’u and Tepai Moeroa playing brilliant games of football against the Eagles. The scoring began fairly early in the piece with Semi Radradra crossing in the 11th minute. The Sea Eagles still looked to be in the sheds as the Eels flew out of the blocks taking all the possession and controlling the field territory. On the back of a Sea Eagles mistake, the Eels had a scrum 30 metres out and a good ball to Ryan Morgan put him through the line before he passed to Radradra who raced away to score. Steve Matai answered back in the 20th minute for the Sea Eagles with a brilliant play from Kieran Foran who raced through the line and then offloaded to Matai who scored untouched. The Eels then bounced back with another to Radradra. Norman drifted to the right and then threw a terrific long cut out pass for Radradra to cross in the corner. The Sea Eagles then bounced back and levelled the game up in the 32nd minute with a try to Peta Hiku in the face of some terrible defence when he shouldn’t have even got close to the try line. The Eels made sure they would take the half time lead though when Manu Ma’u crossed off the back of a brilliant inside ball from Reece Robinson who had created a gaping hole in the line. At halftime, the Eels would hold a 4 point lead and 62% of possession making it hard for a Manly side who were displaying a poor attitude to get into the game. At the start of the second half, looking to keep their season alive everyone would have been expecting the Sea Eagles to come firing out of the sheds, however a penalty given away in the first set of six led to the Eels marching down the field and Bureta Faraiimo being able to dart of dummy half and score the softest of tries. The conversion game the Eels a 10 point lead before down the other end of the ground the Eels made a sloppy error and some desperation to keep it alive from James Hasson saw him toe the ball through and score a try next to the post. With the gap back to four points between the two sides, it would turn out to be the last of the scoring as the error counts built up and the frustration of fans and coaches became obvious. The Eels with the lead decided to play like they were 30 behind whilst the Sea Eagles just couldn't find a way through despite having a number of sets in a row on the Eels line during the middle stanza. With about 12 minutes to go Luke Kelly almost had a 40/20 before Brett Stewart produced one of the plays of the season to keep the ball in. You felt it might have turned the game around but it didn't, the Sea Eagles only getting worse. With one final chance on the attack the Sea Eagles made one last error effectively ending their season. For them to make the finals it will be all down to the St George Illawarra Dragons losing one or both of their games in a big way now with Manly winning their games. In the end at Brookvale though, a strange game in miserable conditions sees the Eels pull an upset of massive proportions.
Muzz
Guest
I expected more from the $2.4 million halves pairing when their season was on the line. Talk about panic stations!
Renegade
Roar Guru
Ok mate, your hurting but bringing up that game during origin week isn't really a good retort. I think it's been a great NRL season - very competitive and open. This is how the compeition should be. I don't understand this talk of "it's an average season" because every game is competitive. That doesn't make sense. A team with one of the best backlines in the competition missing the finals gives you an indication of the strength of competition this season.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
They made light work of the Sharks, who are supposedly a premiership threat, which gives you an indication of what an average NRL season it has been. Any team on their day are a chance.
Joe
Roar Rookie
The eels turned up today and played a great game. The defense was excellent and they were hungry for the ball diving at any loose pill. They turned up with the right attitude and got the rewards. Manly should have played much better than that. A few things went against them the main one being losing Balin and the weather didn't suit their style of play making their out wide plays cumbersome and easy to pick off but the Eels defense has to be given a lot of credit for turning up all night. That might be the season for Manly.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Yeah thats what I'm saying Scott... Even if they do manage to beat both the roosters and Sharks both - I don't think their f/a will be good enough - this was their best chance to catch the dragons differential.
Doug Graves
Guest
Hahaha! Better luck next season Eagles!
Scott Pryde
Expert
I am working on the match report now. Will be up shortly.
Renegade
Roar Guru
To be honest, I think they would be more competitive than the dragons but would still absolutely struggle to progress further than week 1 - maybe week 2 at best.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
The PD is the problem. Manly bombed today. Didnt give the Eels any respect.