The Sydney Roosters killed off Manly’s top eight hopes and soured Geoff Toovey’s Brookvale Oval farewell with a 46-10 NRL win on Friday night.
The Roosters hardly missed a beat without some of their biggest guns as they moved to within touching distance of a third straight minor premiership.
With Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Michael Jennings and Shaun Kenny-Dowall watching from the dugout, the Roosters were clinical in their 11th straight victory.
Wingers Brendan Elliot and Daniel Tupou each racked up hat-tricks in the eight-tries-to-two victory.
With Waerea-Hargreaves’ season over due to an ACL injury and with Pearce (hamstring) out for a month, the Roosters were expected to wane but showed no signs of stumbling against the Sea Eagles.
Manly had everything to play for with their finals hopes on the line and the match being Geoff Toovey’s last at Brookvale after an illustrious playing and coaching career that stretched back to 1988.
It was also five-eighth Kieran Foran’s last Brookvale match in Manly colours ahead of his move to Parramatta.
In some positive news the club did announce that fullback Brett Stewart had penned a one-year contract extension which would see him stay at the club until the end of 2017.
They looked listless in the opening stanza as the Roosters jumped out to a 16-0 lead after 27 minutes and never got back within touching distance.
The Roosters’ first two tries were almost replicas with Elliot going over in the corner after some swift hands.
Jackson Hastings proved he was up to filling Pearce’s No.7 jumper when he toed it through for an Aidan Guerra four-pointer.
Manly were staring down the barrel of going into the break down 16-0 but pegged one back when Jamie Lyon went over off the back of a gem of a Stewart flick pass.
But the second half began almost exactly as the first with Elliot going over in the corner after the Roosters opened up an overlap and it was a steady procession from there.
A Tupou second-half treble put the exclamation point on the win before Roger Tuivasa-Sheck added one to his highlight reel with a 50 metre burst which ended with Isaac Lui crossing.
Manly’s Justin Horo (high contact) and Willie Mason (shoulder charge) are both facing scrutiny from the match review committee.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said that the side had taken a no-excuses attitude after losing several key players during the week.
“There’s been a lot made about who we’re missing but that hasn’t been made very big within the Roosters,” he said.
“We knew they were out and just got back into training. We’ve got a squad of 23-24 guys that have played NRL that know their role.
“There was some good execution there that we needed to get that score tonight.”
The loss was Manly’s biggest at Brookvale in 52 years.
Manly coach Geoff Toovey said he went into the night full of emotion but left “disappointed and angry”.
“I was very upset for the team, we’ve let a chance to steam back into the eight slip by,” Toovey said.
“It’s more disappointment about that than anything else.”
ChrisinMonaco
Guest
Souths penalties received to date in season( Rnd 25) 2012 - 154 penalties (27 games) - Average 5.7 2013 - 167 penalties (26 games) - Average 6.42 2014 - 219 penalties (27 games) - Average 8.11 2015 - 148 penalties (22 games) - Average 6.73 They were never going to lose in 2014....
littleredrooster
Guest
20 premierships, balmain didnt turn up to one.
joister
Guest
i'm in no way a manly fan but agree with you steveng ... both Tooves and Foran have given a heap for that club but in particular Tooves ... been watching him since he was a small blonde haired runt ... hope he enjoys his time off ... we'll no doubt get to see him back somewhere
pete bloor
Guest
I hardly think the laws of probability suggest no team can win three in a row against another.
Muzz
Guest
Todd Greenburg caught out and on camera high fiving Dave Smith after last years Roosters v Bunnies preliminary final speaks volumes about the 2014 premiership. The Bulldogs were like lambs to the slaughter.
ChrisinMonaco
Guest
Injures in contending clubs ... ? JWH and Pearce don't count I assume ... A bitter fool.
ChrisinMonaco
Guest
Well done to the Warriors, a fantastic coup. But as usual, the chooks aren't going to for out overs for an exceptional player. Depth wins the long game, not one superstar. The Roosters will bring through another, just as they did with RTS.
ChrisinMonaco
Guest
Can someone remind Jacksyd that supposed 300, 000 people who marched were not all souths fans, but rugby league fans in general.. I guess those thousands of Bunnies fans were asleep the years before they were booted. The NRL enjoyed pushing the fairytale of a souths GF win. But, that was last year, just as we forgot about the Roosters far more enjoyable come from behind victory the year prior. Are you surprised people came out to enjoy your GF win after such a term of absolute failures??? Back to modern day... And your rivals are back on top, coach going nowhere and eyeing of a 3rd Minor Premiership in a row. No fairytales needed this year.
Jacksyd
Guest
It is well documented that RTS had done the deal with the Warriors before the roosters had a chance to negotiate and caught them by surprise. Besides the money, he simply wanted to go back home. If it was all about money, many will argue the roosters would have found a way to keep him there, whatever it took.
Jacksyd
Guest
Maybe they should have put on the $20 for 2 tickets promo that the roosters offer to entice their fans to make the 5 km trek to Allianz?
Jacksyd
Guest
As I said before, after the decimation in both the semi last year and r2 this year that Souths handed out, the laws of probability state that at some point there will be a different result so yes, it looks like 3rd time lucky for the $10 million dollar roosters.
Jacksyd
Guest
You obviously don't remember the 300,000 that marched to have Souths reinstated back into the comp or the same number that paraded the streets of Sydney after the GF last year compared to the 500 that turned up in Bronte Rd after the roosters won the year before. What does that tell you?
steveng
Roar Rookie
What a great post match press conference with Tooves being himself. The guy is a legend and the press core clapped and honoured the man like he should be. Its a pity that the officials at Manly don't have the respect and have such short sightless attitude as they do towards a man that has taken them beyond their dreams, when Des Hasler departed!
littleredrooster
Guest
35,000 are "johnny come lately" supporters who will shoot through at the first sign of adversity like Madge (not Allsop) is about to..the rest are almost dead.
P Air
Guest
Manly hating die-hard more like it.
Jacksyd
Guest
Gifted the comp? 106 pts for and 44 against in 2 semis and a GF. I see your point LOL
Jacksyd
Guest
Year of the rooster? Could well be but given the freaky, season ending injuries to top players in contending clubs over the past couple of weeks, I suggest you be praying James Maloney stays fit or goodbye the roosters as well.
ChrisinMonaco
Guest
Laws of probability ??? Spoken like a true loser. You were gifted the comp last year, and will fall well short this year. Give credit where credit is due. You have won one comp is 50 years, I wouldn't be bragging. Oh, and those 36,000 paid up members.. Move the junior lines back to the original placements and see how you go. And it was nice to see all 36 000 at the game on Thursday,
Jacksyd
Guest
Laws of probability support your prediction regarding r26 after the hidings in the semi last year and r2 this year. I have to agree with you on 1 point, could well be 3rd time lucky for you. BTW, how does your team compare to 21 Premierships and 36,000 members?
The Barry
Roar Guru
I wouldn't be throwing O'Sullivans name around when defending cap allegations.