Manly Mighty, Cowboys Unsightly

The Manly Sea Eagles have defeated the North Queensland Cowboys 24-4 at Brookvale Oval tonight in cold and wet conditions.

Manly never looked like losing the game tonight. The Sea Eagles were brilliant from the opening whistle, whilst the Cowboys failed to take advantage of a number of opportunities with several poor options on the last tackle from Ray Thompson and Michael Morgan.

Manly came flying out the blocks and scored their first points just 3 minutes into the contest. Daly Cherry-Evans put in a great grubber across field and and found a flying Brett Stewart, who snapped up the ball and continued his amazing try scoring record at Brookvale Oval. Jamie Lyon had no problems with the conversion and Manly lead 6-0.

Some great pressure from Manly allowed them to extend their lead 4 minutes later. Daly Cherry-Evans was again the provider, this time linking with big George Rose. Coming back from the inside Rose was too powerful and steamrolled the Cowboys defenders to score next to the posts. Jamie Lyon quickly added the extras and Manly found themselves 12 points ahead.

The first half was all Manly. The Cowboys failed to convert their late field position into points and found themselves down by 12 at the break.

Manly made the Cowboys pay after an error from the kick off from Ashley Graham. Cherry-Evans quickly spread the ball out wide and found Steve Matai who powered over the line despite the attention of 3 Cowboy defenders. Jamie Lyon nailed the difficult conversion from the sideline and the gap was 18 points.

The Cowboys finally managed to get over the line in the 56th minute to ensure there would be no shut out tonight. Some quick hands from the Cowboys right edge saw Ashley Graham dive over in the corner, narrowly beating two Manly defenders and the corner post. Gavin Cooper was the goal kicker in Johnathon Thurston's absence, failing to convert from the sideline.

After being denied a try by Dallas Johnson minutes earlier, Brett Stewart was hungry for his second for night. It came at the 64 minute mark on the back of a perfect kick from Keiran Foran. Foran dabbed the ball through the defensive line and it bounced beautifully for Brett Stewart, who chased hard and gathered the ball to score. The try marked Stewart's 57th try in 58 appearances at Brookvale oval.

Next week Manly return to Brookvale Oval to face the Parramatta Eels whilst the Cowboys head back to Dairy Farmers where they'll meet an in form Warriors team.

Match Details
Manly Sea Eagles 24 defeated North Queensland Cowboys 4
National Rugby League - Round 14 - Saturday June 11, 2011 7:30pm
Venue: Brookvale Oval
Referee: Jared Maxwell and Gerard Sutton
Video Referee: Chris Ward
Touch Judges: Steve Chiddy and Russell Turner
Crowd: 8,452
Halftime: Manly Sea Eagles 12 North Queensland Cowboys 0

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Daly Cherry-Evans
2 Points - Brett Stewart (2 Tries)
1 Point - Kieran Foran

Manly Sea Eagles (24)
Tries: Brett Stewart (2), Steve Matai, George Rose
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (4/4)

North Queensland Cowboys (4)
Tries: Ashley Graham
Conversions: Gavin Cooper (0/1)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Welcome to tonight's game between e Manly Sea Eagles and the North Queensland Cowboys. It's a cold, wet night at Brookvale Oval and we should be in for quite a game.
Manly took out tonight's curtain raiser with a narrow 22-20 victory in the Toyota Cup.
Jamie Buhrer will start the game for the Sea Eagles with Galuvao reverting back to the bench.

Few changes in the Cowboys team. Ben Jones will play in the centers tonight with Gavin Cooper reverting back to his preferred back row position. Glen Hall will start in the front row and Ashton Sims will come off the bench. Joel Reithmuller will make his debut tonight for the Cowboys from the bench.
Teams coming onto the field now. Ready for kick off.
1 min: We're underway. manly have first possession.
1 min: Big run by Steve Matai as he goes close but is pulled down by Matt Bowen. 3 min: TRY
Cherry-Evans puts a nice grubber across the field and Brett Stewart snaps it up and scores next to the posts. Great start from Manly.
Manly Sea Eagles 6-0
5 min: Matt Bowen is caught in goal by Manly for a line drop out. Brilliant first set after points from Manly.
7 min: TRY
Gorgeous George gets an beautiful inside ball from Cherry-Evans and Rose steamrolled a Cowboys defender to score next to the posts. Jamie Lyon has no problem with the conversion.
Manly Sea Eagles 12-0
9 min: Manly have had 85% of possession thus far.
10 min: Penalty to Manly. Ben Jones held on too long in that tackle.
11 min: Ashley Graham knocks on a cross field kick from Cherry-Evans. Six more for the Sea Eagles.
13 min: Tariq Sims fields a neat little grubber from Foran and relieves some pressure on the Cowboys.
15 min: Cowboys chase hard after a kick from Morgan but Stewart manages to get back into the field of play.
16 min: Keiran Foran nearly traps Matt Bowen in goal down the opposite end of the field.
16 min: Manly lose the ball in their own half and give the Cowboys their first attacking opportunity for the night.
18 min: Michael Morgan goes close but Brett Stewart gets there just in time to knock the ball dead. Line drop out for the Cowboys.
19 min: Morgan beats 3 and nearly gets over the line but is grabbed last second. Draws a penalty for his team as well.
20 min: Oldfield takes a cross field kick from Ray Thompson rather comfortably in goal. 20m tap for Manly.
23 min: End to end football at the moment. Refs are giving a big 10m.
24 min: Matt Bowen fumbles a bomb from Cherry-Evans but it's been ruled backwards by the referees.
28 min: Manly get a penalty after Ashton Sims holds on too long in the tackle. Manly attacking the Cowboys line again.
29 min: Glenn Stewart puts a nice little grubber into the in goal and Faifai-Loa is forced to take it dead. Line drop out for Manly.
30 min: Dallas Johnson leaves the field for the Cowboys. Not sure if it's injury related or just a breather for the workhorse back rower.
31 min: Another drop out for Manly after they managed to trap Ashley Graham in goal.
32 min: Ordinary grubber from Cherry-Evans bounces nicely for Bowen, who regathers the ball easily.
33 min: Sloppy play the ball from Jamie Lyon. Cowboys in good attacking position from the scrum.
34 min: Cherry-Evans gathers a bad kick from Ray Thompson.
36 min: Johnson is back on for the Cowboys.
37 min: Steve Matai caught on the last. Turn over for the Cowboys.
37 min: Cowboys get a penalty on the back of the turn over for some extra attention in the tackle.
38 min: Manly penalized for stripping the ball from Tariq Sims. Cowboys attacking Manly's line.
39 min: Michael Oldfield picks up a loose ball and runs 80m only to be called back for a knock on by Manly.
40 min: That's halftime at Brookvake Oval. It's been all Manly in the first half. The Cowboys couldn't take advantage of some late field position and find themselves down by 12 at half time.
41 min: Cowboys start the second half badly with Ashley Graham trying to force an offload, but finding a Manly player.
41 min: Checking a try to Manly.
41 min: TRY
Manly make the Cowboys pay for their mistake as Steve Matai powers his way over out wide. Lyon maintains his perfect record with the boot tonight with a great conversion fro the sideline.
Manly Sea Eagles 18-0
43 min: Antonio Winterstein is in some trouble for the Cowboys. He's clutching at his shoulder.
45 min: Ash Graham does well under a spiral bomb from Keiran Foran.
46 min: Brett Stewart loses the ball in his own half.
48 min: Ashton Sims goes close but is dragged back by some strong Manly defense.
48 min: Jamie Lyon diffused that attacking raid from the Cowboys with a nice take.
50 min: Winterstein is gone for the night, and possibly a few weeks.
51 min: Keiran Foran does well to take a kick in goal but can't back into the field of play. Line drop out for the Cowboys.
52 min: Bad option from Matt Bowen on the last. No problems for Brett Stewart.
54 min: The Cowboys get a piggy back out of their own half after Manly gives away a penalty.
54 min: Glen Hall gets hit high by Vic Mauro. No penalty as Hall was falling in the tackle.
55 min: Great work from the Cowboys trapping Oldfield in goal for a line drop out.
56 min: Checking a try to the Cowboys.
56 min: TRY Northern Storm
Ashley Graham manages to dive over in the corner despite the attention of two Manly defenders. Gavin Cooper is the goal kicker in Thurston's absence, but he misses the difficult kick from the sideline.
Manly Sea Eagles 18-4
60 min: It's pouring at Brookvale now.
60 min: Brett Stewart nearly gets his second on the back of a good kick from Cherry-Evans, but Dallas Johnson does well to position himself between the ball and Stewart before it went dead.
62 min: Tariq Sims gives away a penalty.
64 min: TRY
Stewart gets his second for the night. Perfect kick from Keiran Foran bounced nicely for Stewart, who chased hard and was rewarded with a try. That's 57 tries from 58 games at Brookvale for Stewart.

Lyon converts the try in pouring rain.
Manly Sea Eagles 24-4
66 min: Glenn Stewart is down for Manly. Copped a shot on the chin from Glen Hall.

Hall on report.
67 min: Cowboys knock down a pass from Glenn Stewart. 6 more for Manly.
68 min: George Rose nearly gets his second for the night but gets held up. Big smile on Rose's face.
68 min: Checking a try to Manly.
68 min: NO TRY! Tony Williams gets held up.
68 min: Gavin Cooper fumbles the ball in his in goal but fortunately for him it does dead.
70 min: Another perfect kick from Keiran Foran forces Gavin Cooper to bat it dead. More possession for Manly on the back of the line drop out.
70 min: Jason King loses the ball in a tackle.
71 min: Cowboys gets a penalty for holding down in the tackle and some back chat from Jason King gifts the Cowboys an extra 10m.
72 min: Amounts to nothing for the Cowboys after another poor option.
74 min: Cowboys get another penalty in their own half. This one against Tony Williams.
75 min: Another bad option from Michael Morgan. The Cowboys are definitely missing Johnathon Thurston.
76 min: Faifai-Loa knocks on in his own half. Lyon takes off but is called back for a double knock on.
78 min: Tariq Sims puts a shot on Keiran Foran and forces an error. Cowboys get a penalty on the back of it after Foran works over Sims in the ensuing tackle.
79 min: Poor play the ball from Ah Mau. Pretty much sums up the game for the Cowboys.
80 min: That's full-time at Brookvale Oval. Manly have defeated the Cowboys 24-4 .