Penrith have suffered their first loss at home this season, going down 18-10 to Manly in an error-riddled match at Panthers Stadium.
Both teams were guilty of sloppy handling throughout the game and their completion rates were very poor.
Manly scored the first try in the 12th minute when Joel Thompson used his footwork and size to barge his way over.
Penrith looked sluggish for most of the first half until fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak charged onto an inside ball from dummy-half Sione Katoa. He burst through some soft Manly line defence to score five minutes before half-time.
Manly had a try by winger Brad Parker disallowed just on half-time after Penrith five-eighth James Maloney was ruled to have been obstructed.
The Panthers led 8-6 at half-time.
James Fisher-Harris continued Penrith’s handling woes by knocking the ball on in the first set of the second half. Manly made them pay for it.
Tom Trbojevic threw a great cut-out ball and winger Matt Wright showed his finishing skills to get the ball down in the corner.
The Sea Eagles then had to overcome the loss of five-eighth Dylan Walker, who was carried off with a leg injury in his first game back from a broken cheekbone.
The game was locked at 10-all with fifteen minutes to go when Panthers’ halfback Nathan Cleary was sent to the sin bin.
He was penalised for a professional foul after holding his opposite number Daly Cherry-Evans back after he put a grubber kick through.
Trent Hodkinson slotted the resulting penalty goal to put Manly in front 12-10, and five minutes later he scored the winning try after being on the end of a great ball from a charging Jake Trbojevic.
The win is only Manly’s fifth of the season. Penrith will be disappointed with their performance and not consolidating their top 4 spot.
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