The have been some great nights over the years in this part of the Northern Beaches, and you can stick this one right up there with the best of them.
On the night that Daly Cherry-Evans overtook Cliff Lyons to become the most capped Sea Eagle ever, the halfback produced a masterclass to upset the three-time Premiers and inspire his side to a 32-18 victory.
It was his 310th game in maroon and white, all of them in the number 7 jumper, and few will have been better.
There was a try, six goals, multiple try assists and, most of all, bucketloads of leadership.
“I think the first four weeks of the season has been just OK for myself, and I think a lot of my focus has been on just trying to help the side,” said DCE after the game.
“I think the best thing that I can do as a leader and a halfback is play footy and direct the team around. I did that tonight.
“It comes naturally to me, directing the team around and kicking well, trying my luck and being in the game.
“Tonight, I felt like it was the night that I wanted to play footy. It goes to show that when you do your job, good things happen.”
His teammates wouldn’t have needed much geeing up to go with him, but even so, they rose to the occasion.
Nathan Brown was cheered off in just his fifth game on the Northern Beaches after a performance of almost masochistic intensity, throwing himself into James Fisher-Harris, Isaah Yeo and Moses, returning the ball like he had a personal vendetta against potential kick off rule changes.
Penrith didn’t know what hit them. Ivan Cleary’s men were genuinely rattled, forced into multiple penalties by the Sea Eagles willingness to change the point of attack and repelled on multiple occasions by stern goalline defence.
They have managed well enough without Nathan Cleary, but as the cauldron boiled around them on a raucous night at 4 Pines Park, they badly needed his calming head.
Only Dylan Edwards, who scored a hat trick, stood up with Fisher-Harris, who didn’t start the game, and Yeo just a shade off their best.
Jarome Luai went down heavily under several defenders in the first half and was withdrawn late on when the result was gone, but with the Panthers set for the bye next week, they insisted it was merely a precaution.
Ivan Cleary can point to a dubious try for Tolu Koula, who raced away for an intercept when it looked like Jaxson Paulo had knocked on, but the Bunker let it stand.
“It was a poor play by us in the first place,” said the coach.
“Everyone in the stadium knew it was a knock on but it was poor play by us in the first place. We threw five or six intercepts so that was just one of them.”
Anthony Seibold will instead point to the intensity with which his team attacked the game and honoured their captain.
It came at a cost, with Reuben Garrick knocked out early and Liam Henry going the same way not long after, while Jarome Luai also left before the end.
Don’t back down, double down
Manly, and Seibold in particular, were ridiculed for their attempt to take on the Panthers last year by playing slightly madcap, massively expansive football.
The logic was that they were highly unlikely to beat Penrith at their own game and thus had to try something else, and while the execution drew sneers, the broader point was absolutely correct.
It wasn’t a surprise to see them try something similar again.
We didn’t see a kicking duel here – there’s your obligatory mention – but we did see a lot of the same style, with the Sea Eagles trying to move the Panthers’ line around, pushing the envelope with the footy and trying to have a crack pretty much every time they had the ball.
They used Taniela Paseka, pretty much their main strike weapon in the middle, almost exclusively as a dummy runner, drawing defenders in and then going out the back into shape.
They had both Brown and Jake Trbojevic ball-playing in the middle to shift the ruck yet wider.
The difference perhaps, is that Manly now do this all the time. It’s less of a surprise, but they’re a lot better at it. This is what Seibold has tried to get them to do in every game.
The result was a very strange situation at halftime. They had 27 sets to 18, so 60% of the opportunities with the ball, but only 52% of the possession.
Possession is measured by time whereas sets, obviously, is measured by sets –the discrepancy comes partly from the ten infringements that the Panthers had to just three from the Sea Eagles, but also how much faster Manly were playing than the Panthers.
What was most interesting is how Manly upped the speed as the game wore on. For 15 minutes, it was as expected, with Penrith strangling the Sea Eagles with territory and possession, but the game turned on the entry of Brown and Toff Sipley.
After the break, it was Josh Aloiai, with some punishing carries, and Paseka, who carried it up.
The pace was relentless and, probably, unsustainable. That’s where the crowd, the emotion and the occasion took over.
Penrith thrown off their game
Cleary wasn’t pleased with his side’s line speed at the break, but a lot of that was down to what Manly were doing.
That said, the ball control from his side was down on where it usually is. It will be a long time since they were 63% in completions at half time, which will cause problems for any team.
The usual mark of a Panthers side is extreme patience and willingness to build, but faced with a Manly side that simply refused to play that kind of game, it didn’t work.
In fairness, most teams won’t play like this against them, and the mood of the evening lent itself towards the sometimes chaotic, always frenetic style of play.
It’s not really a blueprint to beat the Panthers and, realistically, Penrith would win most of the time against most teams that play like this.
There was plenty in it for Penrith in the way that they refused to go away and kept plugging away until the end.
Edwards remains an example of how far you can get on effort, but nights like this prove that he is far, far more than just that as well.
When Nathan isn’t there, Luai is playing hurt and Yeo a little below his best, Edwards can elevate his game to be one of the very best as well.
The backfield, too, kept at their bit and ensured that the pressure always went both ways. It’s just that Manly met it, and then some.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Instead of posting about it on the Roar, I sat my 3 young boys down to watch and celebrate DCEs 310th. Even though we’d already listened to the entire match on the radio in the car. And what a cracker of a performance by him and the team. Bit presumptuous to think what is posted on here is the be all and end all.
Busty McCracken
Roar Rookie
Watching the footy show and Fred, joey & slater all agreed it went backwards. Looks like I'm not alone on this hill I'm prepared to die on. The game needs to get better at calling every ball that hits the ground a knock on.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
I’m not ‘barbing’ him at all, I’m barbing you and 40/20. The long necked one celebrated the greatest number appearances in the club’s history so it seemed odd that none of the fans here said a word. The only reason, keeping it real, he remained family is because, well you know why, which split said family in two. That said I love his game and hope he’s not lost to it on retiring.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
I’m delighted with the result and genuinely believe Manly were the better side. I do think however that Penriths
Tom G
Roar Rookie
The biggest problem with the Koula try wasn’t that the ball was adjudicated to have gone backwards but that 99.9% of the time it is deemed a knock on. Just another bit of mystery adjudication
Tom G
Roar Rookie
No arguments with that. Let’s be honest, stoked with the win but that was close but not quite a full strength Panther side. I just wish Manly would stop being so inconsistent. Losing that game to the Eels was unforgivable after the great start and that paltry effort against Saints just inconceivable
Tom G
Roar Rookie
I agree, even Corey Waddell, whose signing made me scratch my head, has proven to be a good pick up.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
With you 100% I hated the original let alone the footy crowd version :angry:
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Yeah I’m not sure about the wound either. DCE has been part of the family since 2011. And it showed last night with his reception at Brookie. A receptions he’s regularly received at the ground. Being a DCE fan for well over a decade has meant you have grown a thick skin, constantly defending him against barbs from other clubs fans and league fans from his home state. Now if souvalis meant the healing of wounds between QLDers and DCE, then I’d get it.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
They’ll win next week, with or without Cleary.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
That's drawing a long bow. Not sure what this wound is meant to be. Signing a ten year deal with Manly instead of going to the Titans? Not too hard to get over that.
Rosie
Roar Rookie
The Panthers are still the benchmark and deserved favourites for the comp. For Manly it’s all about building their style and building a season, you can only play the team put in front of you and they did the job. Penrith will be in a great position when Cleary and Sorensen return, also JFH needed a good hit out before he will be back to his best most likely next week.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Just when you thought time heals all wounds, none of the known Manly fans on the site have said a word about Cherry's milestone.
Randy
Roar Rookie
I'm going to glass my ears if I hear sweet caroline again.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Kind of like the last couple of Origin series :laughing:
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Cherry dominated. It's almost like Cleary wasn't even on the field and contributed nothing to the game.
Nambawan
Roar Rookie
Have read a few articles by Rugby commenters about the pressing need for 'tribalism' in that code. How right they are. Was at Brookvale yesterday and the atmosphere was so heavy with emotive local esprit that you could have cut it with a knife. And with the win It was wonderful. That said I think that Manly have a real problem on the wings as the two on show yesterday were mediocre. And there is not much talent waiting in their reserve grade side.
NSWelshman
Roar Rookie
Weird…..NRL stats are different. Anyway good game!
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'm looking forward to Saab returning. He's developing into a top class winger. It's pleasing that we are getting wins without Turbo dominating like he has in the past. Same thing with Haumole. We seem more balanced with our playing strength than we have for a while. Big thing now is to keep it up and get some good wins away from home. Until then we are still making up the numbers. Best thing this year is the relative lack of injuries.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Yes, must have been doing a few lines in the bunker