Manly trample woeful Roosters

Manly have put in a comprehensive 36-8 display to add to the miserable season of the Sydney Roosters but to the delight of the 13,743 fans at Brookvale Oval this afternoon.

There were signs early, that Roosters might have been up for the contest, when they defended several sets on their own line but they eventually cracked when Hopoate latched onto a deft grubber, making it 4-0.

Manly would add two more tries before halftime, with the left edge combining to send Lyon in for a try then a 90 metre effort by Daly Cherry-Evans after they soaked up the feeble Roosters attack. It would be only 12-0 at halftime, due to Jamie Lyon forgetting his kicking boots.

That would be the closest, the game would get though. It became a precession in the second half, after Glenn Stewart strolled over from the scrum base. They built pressure and Tony Williams just bulldozed his way to the line, close enough for Lyon to nail his first conversion of the afternoon.

When Jason Ryles had the ball pinched from his grasp, giving Steve Matai his first for the afternoon and blowing the scoreline out to 28-0, after Lyon nailed his second and last conversion for the afternoon.

Roosters finally got onto the board, when Guerra scored his third try in three weeks to create some hope.

It was dashed, in the record time when the playmaker's shifted the direction of the attack, for Brett Stewart to become distributor for William Hopoate's second try.

Matai showed this was no more than a training run, when he took a hit up and kept the legs pumping and the ball free to plant it down.

Roosters had something to show for the afternoon, with a last minute try which featured passing from their twenty metre line, a run down the sideline by Guerra and a cross field kick for Graham to touch down in the left corner, ending the game with a dominating scoreline of 36-8 to Manly.

It isn't all rosy for Manly, they have injury concerns to Jason King who might be out for the rest of the season, with a pectoral tear, joined by William Hopoate with a hamstring strain and Glenn Stewart with an arm injury.

Match Details
Manly Sea Eagles 36 defeated Sydney Roosters 8
National Rugby League - Round 22 (Close the Gap Round) - Sunday August 7, 2011 3:00pm
Venue: Brookvale Oval
Referee: Matt Checchin and Tony De Las Heras
Video Referee: Sean Hampstead
Touch Judges: David Abood and Henry Perenara
Crowd: 13,743
Halftime: Manly Sea Eagles 12 Sydney Roosters 0

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Glenn Stewart (1 Try)
2 Points - Steve Matai (2 Tries)
1 Point - Brett Stewart

Manly Sea Eagles (36)
Tries: Glenn Stewart, Steve Matai (2), Jamie Lyon, Tony Williams, William Hopoate (2), Daly Cherry-Evans
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (2/8)

Sydney Roosters (8)
Tries: Phil Graham, Aiden Guerra
Conversions: Todd Carney (0/2)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Welcome to a rainy Brookvale oval for this afternoon's contest between Manly and Sydney.
Earlier in the u20s, the struggling Manly side took it to the Sydney side but the Roosters came away with a 26-18 victory.
Only one change and it6's a positional one. Galuvao goes to the bench for Rodney for Manly.
1 min: Roosters kick off and here we go!
4 min: Aiden Guerra is hit hard by Steve Matai and coughs up possession.
5 min: Manly try to go to their left to Matai but he's accounted for. Cherry-Evans kick on last, is too deep.
5 min: Guerra seems to have a GPS of his own and it's locked onto Matai. Matai has collected him high though and it's a penalty Roosters.
7 min: Brett Stewart is offside from the knock on, so change over and ball to the Roosters.
9 min: Stupid penalty by Friend, who pushes Watmough after the play the ball.
11 min: Manly get the ball back after Stewart throws the ball back inside to a Rooster who in turn gives it back to Stewart. Manly are trying to work over Carney but Perrett grounds the ball for a dropout.
13 min: Just more possession to Manly, a rake on 5th tackle by the Roosters.
14 min: Sun is out at Brookvale as Manly get a fourth consecutive set.
17 min: TRY
They finally cracked. Roosters repelled them for as long as they could but a deft grubber through for Hopoate who doesn't have any self preservation and scores. Lyon looking into the sun, hits the post and misses.
Manly Sea Eagles 4-0
19 min: Unfortunate there for Daly Cherry-Evans who kicks one out on the full.
23 min: TRY
Classy backline movement by Manly, they put Hopoate away down the touchline and he one hands it back to Lyon who dives over for the Sea Eagle's second. Lyon again misses.
Manly Sea Eagles 8-0
25 min: Relieving penalty to Manly, just releases any pressure on them.
26 min: A big blow for Manly, with co captain, Jason King going up the tunnel with a pectoral tear.
28 min: Roosters get some quick plays down the short side working and it earns them a penalty, for Manly being offside.
29 min: Two in succession for the Roosters, thanks to a face massage from Brett Stewart.
30 min: That's three penalties now, with Watmough holding on too long.
33 min: TRY
The best form of defence? Attack, Carney is frustrated and puts a grubber through the line but it's trapped by Cherry-Evans who has open space ahead of him, with the pack chasing but he'll make it for Man'y third try of the afternoon. Lyon might sack himself from kicking soon, hooking this one too far to the left.
Manly Sea Eagles 12-0
34 min: Tony Williams is on and makes a big charge! It comes to naught though, with a knock on.
36 min: Roosters are definitely winning something, the penalty count! They get their fourth now, after Glenn Stewart doesn't give Mitchell any room.
37 min: It was building for the Roosters but Anasta is hammered, spilling the ball.
38 min: Power play on last for Manly just dies with Lyon, who gets up protesting.
39 min: Carney launched that ball into the sky, with that bomb and again the back three have let it bounce. Matai takes it dead, after a shove but Manly end up with a penalty for interference.
Shaun Kenny-Dowall might have scored, after an Oldfield shocker.
40 min: NO TRY! From the scrum, Carney puts a kick downfield for Kenny-Dowall who comes up with it after Michael Oldfield has a staring contest with the ball and loses. He brushed off one and stretched out to put it down but lost control at the last second. HALFTIME!
41 min: Back at Brookvale, with the second half. Manly get us underway!
42 min: Not the start to the second half, Roosters wanted. Another knock on.
44 min: Manly going close, for their fourth but no result until Graham spills a grubber.
47 min: TRY
The wall tumbles again for the Roosters. Stewart takes it on his lonesome from the scrum, dummies and bounces over to score. Manly are going up by fours here this afternoon, with another miss by Lyon.
Manly Sea Eagles 16-0
48 min: A perfectly weighted kick traps Minichiello who was waiting for it go over the sideline but it never does. Drop out.
50 min: TRY
Tony Williams just steams onto a ball and tells the defence to get out of my way, on his way to the tryline. Lyon surely can't miss this one and he doesn't, making that his first successful one for the afternoon.
Manly Sea Eagles 22-0
51 min: The door is ajar for the Roosters? Hopoate drops it off the kick off.
52 min: Manly offside, another penalty to the Roosters. They need points though, not the pea of the whistle.
53 min: It comes to nothing, Roosters are shooting blanks but Manly are a brick wall in defence.
56 min: Roosters are shifting it left to right, trying to find an opening but nothing. Brett Stewart recovers the spoils and gets the penalty on top.
57 min: Last ditch defence by Carney, saved that try. Manly found an overlap on the right but Carney takes Hopoate over the sideline.
Possible try Manly, Ryles might have had the ball pinched.
59 min: TRY
Jason Ryles takes a regular hit up, tries to offload. He got the ball pinched from him by Foran who shakes off one tackler and offloads to Matai who strolls over, to make a miserable evening, even worse for the Roosters. Jamie Lyon has two in a row, it's a miracle!
Manly Sea Eagles 28-0
62 min: Phil Graham gets some momentum for the set, with a kick return and a penalty. Can the Roosters get on the board?
65 min: TRY
They do! Guerra breaks out of a few tackles, getting over the try line for his fourth try in recent weeks and abolishes the zero in the scorebook for the Roosters. Carney might have borrowed Lyon's tee because he missed.
Manly Sea Eagles 28-4
67 min: Roosters put it high and Hopoate catches it! There is a penalty coming though, for offside.
69 min: TRY
This has become all too easy for Manly. They change the direction of the attack, bringing Stewart in as the second man and he throws the penultimate pass for Hopoate's second try. Sideline again and another miss for Lyon.
Manly Sea Eagles 32-4
72 min: Some quick hands by the Roosters, breaks down and it's knocked on.
75 min: TRY
Steve Matai just takes a hit-up about ten metres out, but he keeps those legs pumping and is over the line. No one has the ball wrapped up and he slams it down, to add another try to his name this afternoon. Lyon with an easier attempt, misses this one too.
Manly Sea Eagles 36-4
75 min: Error by Rose on his own twenty, Roosters might get another consolation try.
76 min: Well they say insanity is to try something over and over, with the same result. Roosters have done that, short ball to Masoe and it's dropped.
78 min: Manly are still pushing up in defence, this late in the game. Hopoate leaves the field, with a hamstring injury, joining King and Stewart on the bench.
79 min: Brett and Glenn Stewart haven't scored in the same game. Cherry-Evans tries the hook kick to erase that stat but the Roosters recover.
80 min: TRY
In a lacklustre game, this try will be the only highlight. They keep it alive to Guerra who is away down the touchline but offloads back inside to Carney who puts the kick in for Graham who catches it and scores in the corner. Carney can't convert and that is FULL TIME.
Manly Sea Eagles 36-8