WOW!!! That game was epic. I wish I had been there to witness it live!!! What a massive turn-around Manly had after so many low scoring games. Tony Williams comes back into the side and we have an absolute blinder of a game. Those injured team members would have found it unbearable to sit on the sideline during such an epic game!!
Where do I start? The beginning I suppose. So late mail is that T-Rex is back in the side. Do you need any more info than that? We come on, grab the ball and make the most of it almost instantly. Matai ploughs through a gap and runs down the field but gets tackled not far from the line. Tony Williams (T-Rex) gets the ball and pushes several Roosters away from him, he offloads to Brett Stewart who throws a stellar pass and sends Jorge Taufua over the line in the 3rd minute. Jamie Lyon successfully converts the try opening the score to 0-6. We seemed to take the energy that we had in last weeks game against the storm and make something of it. The tries just kept coming after that.
A few minutes late Matt Ballin pulls out a sneaky grubber kick into the in-goal area and Anthony Watmough pounces on it. The referees hand it over to the video ref to make a call, but it is clear that we have another one here! Lyon converts and away we go 0-12 in the opening 10 minutes. This is the team that I know, the team I cheered on last year, a far cry from the struggling team we have seen in previous weeks, just grinding out a marginal win.
It's a few more minutes before we see another try from either team, but Manly are really lit up, they are surging, all guns blazing at this Roosters pack, and the Roosters are growing weary of containing them. Although, it's not a one-sided game here, the Roosters are playing some sort of football, but making a few errors trying to keep the pace with Manly. The Roosters were worried about containing T-Rex and the Sea Eagles are having a hard time trying to contain Mose Masoe, an even battle I'd say!
In the 21st minute Steve Matai gets his chance to cross the line. Tony Williams pops a little kick through the defenders, the ball is collected by Steve Matai who flies to the try line and picks up another 4 points for us. With Lyon converting the try, the score jumps to 0-18. Almost 10 minutes later Anthony Watmough comes powering through the defensive line and runs away toward the goal posts, he only had one Rooster to get past, makes a swift pass to Cherry-Evans who then scores a try. The Sea Eagles are now on 24 points after a successful conversion and the Roosters are still on nil.
The Roosters have their chance to get their name on the scoreboard in the 34th minute. After a previous set saw them go over the line only to pass the ball out into touch, they get their chance in the right hand corner. They out-ran and out-passed our defence. Braith Anasta converts the try and it is 6-24 with 5 minutes left in the first half, and remains at that till half time.
The second half is underway and within the first minute the Roosters open up the scoring again, Tom Symonds grabs the ball after a kick from Mitchell Pearce and places the ball down over the line. Kieran Foran tries to stop him, but the ball just scrapes over the line. Anasta misses the conversion.
It's now 5 minutes into the second half and the score is 10-24. The Roosters seems to have had a taste of the momentum we had in the first half and are going all out to get a glimpse of the lead. We've had some difficult calls against us but we still have some points in us. I can feel it. Then, Moga runs through a gap and is off running around many Manly players. Brett Stewart runs at him and makes the tackle, but you can tell that the Roosters want, or need to score off this set. Fortunately, they don't.
Jamie Buhrer gives a penalty away and we see the Roosters score off a repeat set. They score over in the corner after drawing in several Manly defenders. Braith Anasta fails to convert the try and the score remains 14-24. It's looking a bit dangerous at this stage, we need to find some more of that magic from the first half.
The Roosters lose the ball after a kick from Cherry Evans and we get a scrum feed just outside the 10 metre line. This is our chance to get back om the board. We do, a classic Manly, left to right play sees Dean Whare over the line to take the lead to 10-28. Lyon misses the conversion. This seems to be the turning point in the game. The Roosters make a short restart and grab the ball, they get close to scoring again, but we hold up and hold them out.
Less than 5 minutes later Steve Matai kicks on the 5th and it moves towards the dead ball line but curves around staying in play, Anthony Minichello fails to bat it dead, meanwhile, Brett Stewart is soaring down the ground and places the ball down for a try. What a brilliant try! Lyon converts and the score is 14-34. A penalty sees us gain some metres before Buhrer pushes through two Roosters players to win the chase to a kick from DCE and place the ball down inches before the dead ball line. Jamie converts and the score is 14-40!!! I'm sure this is the biggest lead we have had all season!
There is still more in us as we head into the final 10 minutes. We get close, but Taufua fumbles the ball. Then DCE comes off the field, and our worst nightmare is taking place. Fortunately it's just a corked knee and with the bye next week, there should be no dramas. Jamies Lyon makes a beautiful intercept and takes off down the paddock to score under the white posts. He converts his own try and the score is 4 points shy of 50 with 3 minutes left in the game.
To seal the deal, Manly decides that they would like to get past that 50 point mark and Kieran Foran kicks and Brett Stewart gathers it up and passes it to Ballin, before he drops it to his boot and kicks toward the in goal, to be chased by none other than Jamie Lyon and we grab those crucial points to make it over the 50 point mark. He converts a few seconds before full time and we have won. A massive win for the boys 14-52!!! WOOOHOOOO
Happy Footballing!!!
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