Manly feast on hapless Sharks

Manly have feasted on the Cronulla Sharks tonight recording a 48-18 win in front of a small crowd at Toyota Park.

Manly started their onslaught early, with a try to Tony Williams who pounced on a Glenn Stewart grubber kick. Anthony Watmough took on the Sharks himself charging down a John Morris kick to score his first and beating several defenders to score his second, making the score 16-0 after 15 minutes.

It was men verse boys for the rest of the first half, Manly running in four tries blowing the scoreline out to 36-0 at oranges. Tony Williams got his second off a nice backline movement, Anthony Watmough completed his hat-trick within thirty minutes with Michael Robertson and Kieran Foran finishing the half on a high.

Ricky Stuart must of fired a rocket up his troops in the second half. Cronulla came out in the second stanza more committed and Nathan Gardener finally got them on the scoreboard with a nice run after an Aiton inside ball. Captain for tonight, Paul Gallen made it back to back tries when he grubbered for himself and retrieved it.

That would be where the comeback would end though, with the returning Jamie Lyon pouncing on a Hodkinson grubber handing the Sea Eagles the two vital competition points. The game degenerated from that point with both sides just playing to the end. Chris Bailey sliced through the defence to put the cherry on top of the mauling by Manly but Josh Cordoba got a rare four pointer close to fulltime making the scoreline 48-18.

Match Details
Cronulla Sutherland Sharks 18 were defeated by Manly Sea Eagles 48
National Rugby League - NRL - Round 19 - Saturday July 17, 2010 7:30pm
Venue: Toyota Stadium
Referee: Jared Maxwell and Alan Shortall
Video Referee: Paul Simpkins
Touch Judges: David Abood and Adam Reid
Crowd: 8,863
Halftime: Cronulla Sutherland Sharks 0 Manly Sea Eagles 36

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Anthony Watmough (3 Tries)
2 Points - Tony Williams (2 Tries)
1 Point - Paul Gallen (1 Try)

CRONULLA SUTHERLAND SHARKS (18)
Tries: Paul Gallen, Josh Cordoba, Nathan Gardner
Conversions: Luke Covell (3/3)

MANLY SEA EAGLES (48)
Tries: Anthony Watmough (3), Chris Bailey, Michael Robertson, Jamie Lyon, Tony Williams (2), Kieran Foran
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (3/3), Shane Rodney (3/6)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Welcome to a cold Toyota Park, where rivalry round continues between the two teams from the 1973 grand final, Manly and Cronulla. Manly took first blood in the toyota cup with a victory.
Manly are 1-17 but Cronulla have several changes, Trent Barrett and Blake Ferguson are out replaced by Tim Smith and Isaac Gordon. Lancen Joudo comes onto the bench for Broderick Wright.
1 min: Manly get us underway for tonight's game.
3 min: Cronulla get the first penalty of the game, after the player is worked over in the tackle.
4 min: Back to back penalties for the Sharks who opt for the quick tap.
7 min: Possible try for Manly. Checking offside and grounding.
8 min: TRY
Manly have first points here through a Glenn Stewart grubber for Tony Williams who dives over to score. Rodney misses his first attempt at conversion.
Manly Sea Eagles 4-0
9 min: Manly goes on the attack again after an inside ball from Ben Farrar but they spill it later in the count via Lyon.
11 min: TRY
John Morris kicks one straight into Anthony Watmough who charges down the ball and goes in under the black dot. Rodney sails the kick over the black dot.
Manly Sea Eagles 10-0
14 min: TRY
Anthony Watmough has his second try, this time from a closer range. He steps once, twice and palms off Nathan Gardener for a double. Rodney has no trouble with this one either and kicks it.
Manly Sea Eagles 16-0
16 min: Cronulla can't do anything right, Nathan Gardener slips over retrieving a ball and touches the ball going dead. Manly scrum.
17 min: Manly can't do anything with the ball though dropping it early in the count.
22 min: TRY
Manly are just relentless here, a nice pass from Lyon to Williams has him charging downfield and steamrolling a Cronulla defender to score his second. Rodney tries to swing it in but doesn't.
Manly Sea Eagles 20-0
26 min: Cronulla get a rare opportunity in Man;y's half after a high shot from Matai.
26 min: Matai concedes a penalty even the referee says is silly.
28 min: An easy piggyback for Manly after crowding the play the ball.
29 min: Anthony Watmough could have a hat-trick within thirty minutes.
30 min: TRY
and he has the hat trick, a kick is batted back by Jamie Lyon and Watmough swoops to heap on the pain. Rodney kicks it from in front.
Manly Sea Eagles 26-0
32 min: Cronulla concede a penalty in possession, for Gallen giving the referee a gobful.
34 min: TRY
It's men verse boys here, Manly just spread it wide and score easily through Michael Robertson. Rodney misses this one too.
Manly Sea Eagles 30-0
38 min: Cronulla try something different chipping it for Isaac Gordon but it goes over the sideline.
40 min: TRY
Manly put on a play from the scrum with Robertson setting off downfield drawing in a defender and sending Foran in for another Manly try. Lyon takes over kicking duties and gets it just before halftime.
Manly Sea Eagles 36-0
40 min: Halftime and the Sharks have been pathetic, Manly have just put them to the sword with some training drills. This could be anything in the second half if they don't wake up.
41 min: Cronulla get the second half going, let's see if they put up a better fight.
45 min: TRY
Cronulla are on the scoreboard. An inside pass from Aiton for Gardener, gives him a chance to score and he streaks away to get Cronulla on the board. Covell kicks the conversion.
Manly Sea Eagles 36-6
46 min: Eagles defenders caught offside and penalised. Sharks get another chance in Manlys half.
48 min: TRY
Paul Gallen with the captaincy scores their second try after putting a grubber through for himself and scooping it up. Covell kicks the conversion easily.
Manly Sea Eagles 36-12
49 min: Sharks don't help their cause though, dropping it off the kickoff.
50 min: Cronulla piggybacked out of their own end with a penalty but they don't even get the kick for touch over the sideline.
57 min: Not as clinical this second half from Manly, they drop it in a good position. Doubled up with a penalty.
59 min: Manly conceding too many penalties here, Foran holding on too long.
59 min: The ball is thrown too hard to Isaac Gordon, it rebounded off his chest and goes forward.
60 min: Gallen penalised for a high shot, Manly get a set within Cronulla's half.
61 min: Sloppy play there from Manly, a nice backline movement to Williams but he drops it with the line in sight.
62 min: Cronulla are amazingly leading the penalty count, I bet they wish they were leading the scoreboard. Off the restart, they drop the ball.
63 min: The referee blowing the pea out of the whistle, a penalty here to Manly.
64 min: Possible try to Manly, just checking the grounding.
65 min: NO TRY! Robertson drops the ball cold but they get the penalty for intruding on his line.
67 min: TRY
Manly have finally got some points in the second half, Hodkinson puts in a nice kick for Lyon. Lyon converts his own try.
Manly Sea Eagles 42-12
70 min: Anthony Watmough slices through, almost grabbing his fourth but he's taken down. Repeat set after a dab into the in-goal.
74 min: Cronulla try to spread it wide off their own line but they drop it and invite Manly into their end.
76 min: TRY
Chris Bailey just slices through some flimsy defence and scores. Lyon converts.
Manly Sea Eagles 48-12
77 min: Josh Corboda could have a try, just checking the grounding.
78 min: TRY New York Knights
Cronulla get a consolation try through Josh Corboba. Covell converts.
Manly Sea Eagles 48-18
79 min: Cronulla go down a shortside but Isaac Gordon is just manhandled by Robertson.
80 min: Nathan Gardener tries to retrieve a ball and taken into touch and that is fulltime.