Broncos merciless in Manly massacre

The Brisbane Broncos have jumped back into the top eight with a 36-10 defeat of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles this afternoon at Suncorp Stadium in front of 32,000 fans.

Manly came into the game weakened - despite the addition of Kieran Foran and Jamie Lyon to their line-up, they lost Daly Cherry-Evans and Anthony Watmough to injury before the game and it showed. For Brisbane, they lost Justin Hodges but reveled in their first daylight clash of the season.

The opening 20 minutes set the tone for the match, with Lachlan Maranta kicking things off for Brisbane after scooping up a dubious Copley error/rake in the fifth minute. A bizarre Alex Glenn try (originally thought to be Daniel Vidot's) and Jack Reed flying over in the corner put the Broncos up 14-0 before Manly stemmed the flow. At the 26th minute the Sea Eagles crossed through Steve Matai, only to be denied by an obstruction ruled by the video referee.

Brisbane extended their lead just minutes later with Jack Reed doubling his effort, before Manly's Kieran Foran sold a dummy to get his side on the board in the 35th.

The Broncos never really looked troubled in the second half despite the odd moment of pressure from Manly, Dale Copley bagging his double in the 45th and 65th minutes before Jamie Buhrer helped Manly crack double figures. Matt Gillett typified the Sea Eagles' day by swooping on an error and running 95 metres to score the final try of the match.

The Sea Eagles will be sweating on the fitness of several players, not least their halves. DCE missed today's game and Kieran Foran limped off late with his foot iced. They host Canterbury at Brookvale on Friday in a match crucial to the make-up of the top four. Brisbane have an eight-day break before they go to Canberra for Monday Night Football in the Nation's Capital.

BRISBANE BRONCOS (36)
Tries: Lachlan Maranta, Alex Glenn, Jack Reed (2), Dale Copley (2), Matt Gillett
Conversions: Corey Parker (3/5), Ben Hunt (1/2)

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (10)
Tries: Kieran Foran, Jamie Buhrer
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (1/2)

A big game for both sides - a good performance from Manly can see them, with a 25+ point win, rise to the top of the NRL ladder. Brisbane meanwhile will be keen to keep themselves in the race for the eight as the bye period sees many clubs rising and falling. They'll also need to adjust to playing in daylight for the first time this year.
LATE MAIL | Brisbane lose Justin Hodges who's failed to back up from Game 1 of Origin, with Lachlan Maranta joining the backline off the bench, and Dale Copley moving into the centres. Jarrod Wallace keeps the remaining bench spot.
Manly have a host of changes also, with Daly Cherry-Evans and Anthony Watmough joining Hodges in the Origin casualty ward. #18 Jack Littlejohn moves to halfback to partner Kieran Foran, while Dunamis Lui will start in place of the injured Watmough in the second row. James Hasson fills the vacant bench spot in jersey #21

We're underway at Suncorp. Brisbane with it first.

3: PENALTY BRISBANE, they'll attack first.

4: VIDEO REFEREE possible Broncos try, Copley's gone close, it's come out the back, Maranta jumps over everyone. Looks okay to us...

5: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Lachlan Maranta. Kick to come.
Try awarded to Maranta. Some question about the ball coming out but not enough to overturn the referee's decision.

5: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker unsuccessful.
Parker from the touchline... woefully wide. No goal.

9: VIDEO REFEREE possible TRY to Vidot. Checking if he got it down... not sure here...

9: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Alex Glenn. Kick to come.
Never mind, Alex Glenn gets it because Daniel Vidot spilled it backwards! TRY time!

11: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker successful.
Parker adds the two!

12: Manly on the attack and BAM Gillett with the intercept. Poor option by Brett Stewart to pass when he did.

13: Brisbane force a drop-out at the end of the next set. Great stuff from the hosts.

16: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Jack Reed. Kick to come.
Field day already for the Broncos. Jack Reed flies over in the corner, wowee. Ben Hunt superb pass out wide.

16: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker unsuccessful.
From the sideline, Parker... he's pushed it wide.

22: Brisbane still dominating this contest. Manly not good in defence and looking lost in attack so far.

23: Commentators curse strikes. Barba takes a high ball 2m from his own line but is bundled in-goal by eager chasers. Brisbane drop-out.

26: VIDEO REFEREE and a NO TRY verdict for Manly. Steve Matai crossed but there was a clear obstruction in the lead up. Arguably shouldn't have gone upstairs but it's good to check. Brisbane penalty.

26: UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS
Dale Copley makes an unforced error.
Copley spills a batted-back last tackle kick and it's a Manly handover.

27: Handbags at ten paces for both sides after Jason King hits Alex Glenn high. Penalty Brisbane.

28: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Jack Reed. Kick to come.
Reed goes through off a Hoffman grubber! What a bounce!

30: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker successful.
Parker extends the Brisbane lead. Manly's chances of going top of the table almost certainly gone just half an hour into this one...

31: Manly get their first penalty of the afternoon.

32: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Kieran Foran. Kick to come.
TRY TIME - Manly finally score! Foran dummies and goes and it's a four pointer for the visitors.

33: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon unsuccessful.
Lyon's attempt goes wide.

36: Manly on the attack with five to halftime. Momentum well and truly turned around now.

41: We're back underway in Brisbane.

45: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Dale Copley. Kick to come.
Through the hands and Brisbane score out wide through Copley. Ben Hannant having to deputise as halfback somewhere in there, fantastic work by the Polar Bear.

46: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Ben Hunt unsuccessful.
Hunt takes over kicking duties and he misses as well.

49: Hannant retrieves the kickoff and goes for a surging run, he gets to the line and has it stripped. And then Manly mouth off. Oh dear. Advanced ten. Brisbane start the set 20m out!

51: INJURY concern for Justin Horo, he's landed under an awkward tackle with his teammates trying to put down Ben Barba.

55: Brisbane advance up the park with a penalty. 24-4 they lead as we head toward the hour-mark.

56: Bizarre. We've had play stopped for a Brisbane knock-on despite reasonable advantage having been played. Manly scrum on their own 10m.

58: Peta Hiku bundled into touch. Nothing happening there and unnecessary risk when you're twenty points in arrears.

59: Vidot tackled over the line, he's held then it pops up to Reed, who claims a try, but the ref has already said no, it's Manly's ball. Now Manly get a penalty to hand them possession inside Brisbane's half.

60: Manly play hot potato... to no avail. Brisbane come away with it.

65: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Dale Copley. Kick to come.
A double for Copley who sidesteps and jinks to cross the line for the Broncos. That's the ball game if it wasn't already over!

66: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker successful.
Parker resumes kicking duties and delivers! Brisbane hit thirty.

70: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Jamie Buhrer. Kick to come.
Buhrer runs hard at the line off a great short ball from Littlejohn. Manly on the board in the second half.

71: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon converts! Manly reduce the gap to twenty.

72: Manly on the attack again... but it's been knocked on and GILLETT IS AWAY! LENGTH OF THE FIELD!

72: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Matt Gillett. Kick to come.
GILLETT SCORES! LENGTH OF THE FIELD!

75: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Ben Hunt successful.
Goalkicking switches back to Hunt again. He gets it! Superb sideline effort!

76: Ahhh dear. Manly short kickoff (not sure why, given the result), and it's gone less than 10m, and into touch. Penalty Brisbane, five to go.

80: That'll do us, Brisbane utterly dominant against a Manly side that simply wasn't in the game. 36-10 fulltime.