Manly Clean Up Scrappy Affair

The Manly Sea Eagles have bounced back from their round 1 loss to score a 14-12 victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Central Coast Stadium in front of 15,120 fans.

The opening sets of six were the definition of scrappy with both sides unable to hold the ball with plenty of stray passes as well as errors.

It was the Sea Eagles who were the first side to start to get some consistency and it didn't take them long with Cheyse Blair scoring in just the seventh minute after Video Referee review.

Neither side could really say that they mastered their ball handling in the opening half with plenty of drop ball and for Souths a number of intercepts close to their own line.

It wasn't the 36^th minute that Souths got on the board and in many people's eyes somewhat controversially after Anthony Watmough was ruled to have knocked the ball out of the hands of Isaac Luke and it was picked up by a possibly offside Sam Burgess, it was sent upstairs by referee Shayne Hayne but the all clear was given by the Video Referees. The kick for goal from Adam Reynolds would be one he'd like to forget with it hitting the upright from right next to the post.

That meant the Sea Eagles took a 6-4 lead to the break thanks to the Cheyse Blair try and Jamie Lyon penalty goal.

Souths grew momentum in the second half and in the 51^st minute Beau Champion was the recipient of some good ball movement and scored to give Souths the lead for the first time in the match. Just a few minutes later the Bunnies extended their lead to six after Adam Reynolds successfully slotted a Penalty goal from in front.

All the momentum was with Souths and ironically it was a spray from Sam Burgess to Justin Horo that sparked the Sea Eagles back into life and soon after Daly Cherry-Evans was able to score following some excellent footwork from Jamie Buhrer.

Souths got another opportunity late in the game and had the option to go for the field goal but close to the line decided to work it right and ended up throwing an intercept that sent Manly downfield and off that they got a penalty which wrapped up the game for the Sea Eagles.

The 14-12 victory sees Manly get their first win of the season, whilst the Bunnies will wonder what happened especially after their strong performance last week against the Roosters.

Next weekend, Manly are back at Brookvale Oval on Sunday Afternoon to host the Parramatta Eels, whilst the Rabbitohs travel away to their home ground to take on the Wests Tigers on Friday night.

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (14)
Tries: Cheyse Blair, Daly Cherry-Evans
Field Goals: Jamie Lyon (0/1)
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Jamie Lyon (2/2)

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (12)
Tries: Sam Burgess, Beau Champion
Field Goals: Adam Reynolds (0/1)
Conversions: Adam Reynolds (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Adam Reynolds (1/1)

TEAM NEWS has been confirmed for the Rabbitohs with Chris McQueen ruled OUT of the side through injury. Luke Burgess comes in as a result and will start in the second row. Kyle Turner fills the empty bench spot in jersey 19.

The Sea Eagles confirm reports from earlier in the week that Glenn Stewart will miss tonight's match with a groin strain. Jamie Buhrer comes into the side at lock forward. Jesse Sene-Lefao is added to the bench.

The Rabbitohs out on the field as are now Manly who will be defending the northern end of Central Coast Stadium

Play Underway at Central Coast Stadium, Manly with the first use

1: Or Not, only two tackles in and Manly make the mistake and give Souths possession

2: And then Souths give it straight back to Manly after Nathan Merritt passes infield to Manly's Steve Matai

3: Well that was an interesting kick from Adam Reynolds, it goes backwards and Manly take possession and go down field

4: Cheyse Blair flies like a player of a certain other code but can't catch the ball and it goes dead

6: PENALTY MANLY: Manly get a penalty on their own 40m and from DCE's kick end up 30m out from the Souths line

7: Going up to the men upstairs (Bernard Sutton & Luke Patten) - Shayne Hayne gives us the 'T' symbol, checking sideline and grounding for a Cheyse Blair try

7: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Cheyse Blair. Kick to come.
Cheyse Blair opens the scoring, tiptoes the sideline and dives for the line and scores

8: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon unsuccessful.
Jamie Lyon from the sideline hits it sweetly but just ends up just going outside the left hand upright

11: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Steve Matai makes an unforced error.
Steve Matai makes a good break but when he's tackled the ball comes free

11: PENALTY SOUTHS: Souths get a penalty after Shayne Hayne rules the tacklers didn't role away

12: Souths looking a bit disorganised out on their right side after an attacking raid is intercepted by Cheyse Blair & Manly now work it to halfway

13: Jamie Lyon puts a good kick in that finds touch just 10m out from the Souths line

14: Takes Souths two goes to pack and feed the scrum, even on the second time it nearly went wrong

16: PENALTY SOUTHS - Shayne Hayne calls held and the ball comes free thanks to a helping hand from the Manly player

18: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Issac Luke makes an unforced error.
Issac Luke throws a pass from dummy half straight into John Sutton who was the decoy runner, Manly have the scrum feed 10m out from their own line

18: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Issac Luke makes an unforced error.
Issac Luke throws a pass from dummy half straight into John Sutton who was the decoy runner, Manly have the scrum feed 10m out from their own line

19: PENALTY SOUTHS - Manly markers penalised for not being square at marker

21: DCE sends it high and Nathan Merritt takes a good catch inside his own 10m zone

21: We're back up stairs - Shayne Hayne gives us the crossed arms, checking whether Jamie Lyon got a touch on the ball before DCE caught it and grounded it

28: After a short delay play back underway after John Sutton required medical attention for an injured ankle

34: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Penalty goal attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Manly add two more after receiving a penaty in striking distance... Lyon makes no mistake.

36: Uh oh... a stray pass by Manly is bad enough... Now a swinging arm by Anthony Watmough has been spotted on replay and instead it's a PENALTY to South Sydney!

37: VIDEO REFEREE - could be a Souths try here to Sam Burgess. The ball is knocked down by Watmough from Luke's attempted dummy half pass... Big Sam picks it up and scores unopposed. Checking whether Burgess is offside, apparently...

37: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Sam Burgess. Kick to come.
Not enough evidence that Watmough hasn't touched that, Burgess is therefore onside and it's a TRY.

39: Manly force a drop-out from the Bunnies, who've grounded the ball in goal after a mess of a play.

40: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Brenton Lawrence makes an unforced error.
Spilled lollies! 3rd tackle on the attack and Lawrence has just dropped it. Souths with a scrum 30 seconds from the break.

38: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds unsuccessful.
Reynolds hits the post from a relatively easy position... ouch. Made worse by the fact that prior to this he had 27 straight successful conversions.

HALFTIME in Gosford and we've got Manly in front by a Jamie Lyon penalty goal. We have a grinding contest which was dominated early by the Sea Eagles, but the last ten minutes has been mostly Souths. Join us soon for the second half!

41: Play back underway at Central Coast Stadium

42: Adam Reynolds puts a fourth tackle kick in from inside his own 40m but Peta Hiku cleans up about 10m in field

43: Scrappy play from Souths sees the pass go out infront of Lote Tuqiri and into touch

46: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Justin Horo makes an unforced error.
Dave Tyrell makes a strong tackle on Justin Horo and dislodges the ball

49: Jamie Buhrer has had to put a kick in that Nathan Merritt fumbles backwards then ends up racing out to the 30m line

51: TRY SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Scored by Beau Champion. Kick to come.
Some good hands sees Souths create space and an overlap but don't need it with Beau Champion forcing his way over to score

52: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Conversion attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Adam Reynolds hits it sweetly and kicks the goal

54: Penalty Manly - Referee Chris James rules DCE was offside after the ball ricochets off Peta Hiku and caught by DCE in an offside position

55: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Penalty goal attempt by Adam Reynolds successful.
Adam Reynolds has no problems kicking the penalty goal

56: UNFORCED ERROR SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Sam Burgess makes an unforced error.
Sam Burgess hits the ball up at great speed and a good tackle dislodges the ball

57: Peta Hiku puts a kick in before the last but creates no problems for Souths, they get the 20m restart and zero tackle

58: A lot of rebounds and flick passes from Souths ends up with Manly coming away with the ball

59: An excellent kick finds touch just 1m out from Souths line, was very close to going touch in goal, touch judge had to double check with onfield refs

60: Decent Friday night crowd for the match tonight 15,120

62: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Justin Horo makes an unforced error.
Justin Horo drops the ball in a tackle from Sam Burgess who then gives Horo a spray

63: Penalty Manly - Souths penalised for being offside as the match is heating up

64: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Daly Cherry-Evans. Kick to come.
Some brilliant footwork from Jamie Buhrer sees him create some space and then gives it to DCE who scores under the posts

65: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Jamie Lyon has no problems converting so were locked up heading into the last 15

69: Penalty Souths: Jamie Buhrer penalised for not being square at marker, smart play from Isaac Luke to catch him out, penalty count 8-5 to Souths

71: The Wolfman takes a quick tap and Manly race upfield

72: Manly unlucky to get six again, vision looked like Dylan Walker got a touch on it but Shayne Hayne rules otherwise

73: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Field goal attempt by Jamie Lyon unsuccessful.
Manly look like Brown's cows on the last tackle but Jamie Lyon tries a field goal and goes amiss

74: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Field goal attempt by Adam Reynolds unsuccessful.
Down the other end of the field Adam Reynolds puts a FG attempt in but misses well to the right

75: Six more tackles go to Souths on the Sea Eagles 40m

76: Souths could've gone for the FG but spread it left and David Williams intercepts and takes the Sea Eagles upfield

77: Jamie Lyon is going to take a shot at Penalty goal from 30m out right in front

77: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Penalty goal attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon converts from in front

78: VIDEO REFEREE: Checking whether Joe Picker has got the ball down, Shayne Hayne has said no try

79: Joe Picker thinks he's scored but Shayne Hayne calls NO TRY instead

80: Souths get a scrum but then Adam Reynolds knocks on all but securing victory for the Sea Eagles

80: FULL TIME at Central Coast Stadium and Manly have bounced back from their round 1 loss to win 14-12 over South Sydney