Mitch Dransfield reviews the anticipated match between the Knights and the Sea Eagles at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 3rd | Try Cade Cust (Manly) | Manly 4-0 |
| 4th | Goal Rueben Garrick (Manly) | Manly 6-0 |
| 8th | Try Daly Cherry-Evans | Manly 10-0 |
| 9th | Goal Rueben Garrick (Manly) | Manly 12-0 |
| 20th | Try Starford To’a (Newcastle) | Manly 12-4 |
| 22nd | Goal Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle) | Manly 12-6 |
| 28th | Try Kurt Mann (Newcastle) | Manly 12-10 |
| 29th | Goal Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle) | Scores tied 12-12 |
| 38th | Try Enari Tuala (Newcastle) | Newcastle 16-12 |
| 45th | Try Hymel Hunt (Newcastle) | Newcastle 20-12 |
| 51st | Try Jack Gosiewski (Manly) | Newcastle 20-16 |
| 52nd | Goal Rueben Garrick (Manly) | Newcastle 20-18 |
| 55th | Try Lachlan Croker (Manly) | Manly 22-20 |
| 56th | Goal Rueben Garrick (Manly) | Manly 24-20 |
| 72nd | Try Enari Tuala (Newcastle) | Scores tied 24-24 |
| 74th | Goal Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle) | Newcastle 26-24 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
Coming into this contest, Manly were written off with many injuries; however, in the opening stages of the first half the intent to compete hard was there. A tap back from Brad Parker on the left was able to find Cade Cust going on the outside to grubber behind and score the first try of the match in the third minute. Manly – with all the ascendancy – created another try through Tanela Paseka breaking through an Aidan Guerra tackle to link with Daly Cherry-Evans supporting outside him to go up 12-0 in the opening 10 minutes. Injuries to Cust, and Brendan Elliot leaving the field, saw the Knights fight back with two soft tries after Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga put it through the hands to Starford To’a; minutes later Kurt Mann went himself close to the line to crash over. Poor discipline by the Sea Eagles resulted in a bat-back by To’a to Lachlan Fitzgibbon who offloaded near the line for Enari Tuala to put the Knights ahead at half time.
2nd Half
It was a huge second half in the context of Manly’s season, with them muscling up in defence. The Sea Eagles with their possession were flat and were unable to get their kick away. A messy bomb from Pearce saw a fight for the ball before it was funnelled it out to Hymel Hunt to score and lead 20-12. Possession in Manly’s favour had them complete sets and score two quick tries, off the back of Cherry-Evans, to lead 24-20. A penalty count in the double digits for Newcastle allowed them to find more opportunities to move ahead; with a Newcastle penalty, Ponga found Tuala on the chest to break through weak defence and score to win the match 26-24.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
A second-phase play saw Kalyn Ponga glide across the field to the left side and spot an overlap: a pinpoint spiral cut-out pass to Enari Tuala saw the centre step two Manly defenders to score the try and win the match with five minutes left.
SQUADS
Newcastle Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Starford To’a 3. Enari Tuala 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Hymel Hunt 6. Blake Green 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. David Klemmer 9. Kurt Mann 10. Daniel Saifiti 11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 12. Aidan Guerra 13. Mitchell Barnett. Interchange: 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Herman Ese’ese 17. Josh King.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: 1. Brendan Elliot 19. Tevita Funa 3. Brad Parker 4. Moses Suli 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Cade Cust 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Danny Levi 13. Jake Trbojevic 11. Joel Thompson 12. Curtis Sironen 15. Corey Waddell. Interchange: 14. Lachlan Croker 16. Sean Keppie 17. Haumole Olakau’atu 21. Jack Gosiewski.
