Manly has put more pressure on the Warriors coach under fire, Nathan Brown, by handing out a 44-12 NRL at Four Pines Park.
With nearly 25 percent of their salary cap lost through Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans, the Sea Eagles knocked down the unfortunate Warriors in a 24-0 job in the first half.
Jake Trbojevic made a statement in his first game since being sacked by NSW coach Brad Fittler, playing close to his best game of the year with skillful hands before the line.
Powerful second t-shirt Haumole Olakau’atu also filed his Origin case after being overlooked by the Blues during Game I, terrorizing the right edge of the Warriors.
But as much as Manly was out to keep in touch with the top eight, the Warriors were terrible.
His first half was bland, completing just nine sets and with only four plays in the middle of Manly.
The defeat was the club’s seventh in eight games, meaning he will finish the round in 14th place.
They will return home to Auckland next month after almost three years playing away from Australia, but by this time the club’s season could have ended.
The loss on Saturday night came after questions were already asked about Brown last week.
At some point in the first half it was like a competition between Manly’s forwards to score the softest try.
Toafofoa Sipley’s Olakau’atu swung in a good chance from the left, but the visitors’ defense were able to clear the ball.
Everything that could go wrong went wrong for the Warriors.
Bunty Afoa was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle.
Afoa’s act saved his team a try, but two more were scored while the mainstay was off the field when Taupau scored from the next play and Josh Schuster the next set.
In the Warriors’ only offensive set of the first half, they lost the ball after three innings when they were pinged for an obstruction.
His time was also on the right wing, with Shaun Johnson passing regularly behind the Dallin Waetene-Zelezniak end and slowing the momentum.
A pass to the side pulled the defense out of position which let slip through on goal. He successfully avoided all challenges and cracked home the shot for 1 – 0!
Saab insider Morgan Harper also enjoyed a bit of a rebound after being eliminated earlier this year after his nightmare match against Siosifa Talakai of Cronulla.
Manly’s midfielder did well to hold Jack Murchie above the line in the second half, before breaking the field later and putting Reuben Garrick to score.
Olakau’atu was Manly’s best.
At one point, he pushed Chanel Harris-Tavita meters back while defending him, before flattening Marcelo Montoya as he ran over the Warriors’ end.
Fixations
Scale
Posted 3 hours, 3 hours ago, Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 8:59 AM, updated 9 minutes ago, 9 minutes ago, Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 12:09 PM