Sea Eagles bruise muddled Bulldogs

Manly have put themselves right on the radar with a dominant 32-10 victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in front of 9,235 fans at Brookvale Oval.

The field was reminiscent of 1980s rugby league with the deluge of rain that hammered the northern peninsula in the afternoon brought us a game that was tight in stages brightened up by several moments of class from Daly Cherry-Evans.

In the opening twenty - it looked like Canterbury had settled into the regular pattern for the 2014 season thus far. The forwards were rolling through their work, Reynolds was lurking and Hodkinson was kicking for distance. Their effort got them a due result in the 18th minute when Tim Lafai found his winger sending Mitch Brown on the inside for 6-nil.

The opening quarter would be the only sniff the Bulldogs would get of the hunt, as two further breaks came to naught. Manly slightly fortuitously got the ball after the second of the line-breaks from the away side. The Bulldogs wouldn't touch the ball again until right before half-time and the scoreboard read 18-6 to Manly Warringah. 

It was the class and guile of Daly Cherry-Evans who needed a fitness test earlier today to prove he could take his starting spot. He showed his leg was fine, kicking through for himself twice before shoveling the pass to Steve Matai to level proceedings. He poked his nose through again in the 38th minute before finding Lyon who sent Peta Hiku away to make it an unexpected 18-6 just before the break.

Once again it was the kicking game of Cherry-Evans that created havoc between those two efforts, that procured the second Sea Eagles try. His deep kick forced Sam Perrett to play at the ball captured by Stewart, who would light up the second half. Jesse Sene-Lefao pounced on an Anthony Watmough offload to score his first NRL try. 

The ten minute raid though, belonged to Daly Cherry-Evans who departed the field after eight minutes of the second period. The work was done though, Manly led 20-6 following a Lyon penalty goal. The initial bluster of the impressive Bulldogs forward pack was blunted and it was turning into a coronation for the Sea Eagles who ran riot.

A Manly game at Brookvale wouldn't be complete without the 'Prince of Brookvale' getting across the stripe. The fullback who has had a inconsistent 2014 got himself to 140 career tries with his two efforts to bring it to 32 points scored for the runners up from 2013. Both came from kicks but in two different circumstances.

His first highlighted the awareness shared between Stewart and his captain, Jamie Lyon as the latter produced a grubber that only the former would be able to reach just inside the dead-ball line. The 70th minute effort was all timing from the younger Stewart brother as he timed his run to swoop inside Perrett's guard to spin and score. 

After their initial bluster, Canterbury never worked themselves into the contest again. Manly produced an eighteen point salvo in the first half to stun the competition leaders. They could only respond once in the second half with Chase Stanley crossing in the 55th minute before the centre had to depart with the re-occurrence of a knee injury. 

Manly claimed another scalp at fortress Brookvale but will be counting the cost if Daly Cherry-Evans and Anthony Watmough who both departed early are out for any length of time. For Canterbury, Chase Stanley may miss some time once again with a knee injury while Sam Kasiano could be in some trouble with his late hit on Cherry-Evans.

Match Details
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 32 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10
Venue: Brookvale Oval
Crowd: 9235
Halftime Score: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 18 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 6

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Daly Cherry-Evans
2 points - Brett Stewart
1 point - Jamie Lyon

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (32)
Tries: Steve Matai, Jesse Sene-Lefao, Peta Hiku, Brett Stewart (2)
Field Goals:
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (5/5)
Penalty Goals: Jamie Lyon (1/1)

CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS (10)
Tries: Mitch Brown, Chase Stanley
Field Goals:
Conversions: Trent Hodkinson (1/2)
Penalty Goals:

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Welcome to a soggy Brookvale Oval tonight; We have a cracker for you, Manly (3rd on the ladder) hosting Canterbury who sit on top of the tree. Both teams are sitting pretty going into the final half of the season. Manly were last start losers against Brisbane while Canterbury had the bye.

TEAM CHANGES:

MAN: Only change is James Hasson comes onto the bench for Jason King.

CBY: 1-17.

Both teams are on the field here on a muddy Brookvale. Canterbury in their blue and white, Manly in their maroon and white. Bulldogs will get us underway.. here we go!

4: Four minutes in, not much attack but a lot of mud on jerseys already.

4: PENALTY! First of the evening goes to the home side, Dogs were in the tackle too long.

6: The Manly attack is much more fluid already with Cherry-Evans fit; Taufua tried chasing a DCE grubber, knocking it on.

7: Krisnan Inu off a chargedown, clears it like we're playing Union. The problem was Canterbury had six more.

11: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Jorge Taufua makes an unforced error.
It was a game of forcing back on last tackle here. Manly trying to open up the Canterbury defense, went backwards.. novel tactic but it only led to a pass that was thrown over the sideline.. on halfway.

13: Josh Jackson has broken into the back-field, looking for support although none was forthcoming. On last - Stanley knocks it on in the Chase and Manly ruck it out.

16: PENALTY! Count is one a piece now after Canterbury earn their first.

18: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Mitch Brown. Kick to come.
A nice backline movement especially in these conditions. Hodkinson found Lafai who got a nice tap-on to Brown who steps inside and scores.

19: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Trent Hodkinson who is more mud than man already, puts it through.

23: Some swift hands sends Lafai free down the left, the centre tried positioning Brown for his second. The winger got the ball was swarmed upon. The same movement to the right didn't work as well and it broke down.

29: Canterbury are just steaming through the middle with one forward after another. Chase Stanley after seeing Kasiano's offload tries to replicate but it goes right into a Sea Eagle hand.

30: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Steve Matai. Kick to come.
There was some fortune there but it favours the brave! Cherry-Evans stuck on the short-side, dummies and kicks through. He watches Inu slip, regathers and scoops it to Matai to touchdown.

31: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Jamie Lyon with his first conversion of the night, slots it.

33: Sam Perrett has made a hash of two kicks in a row now. He watches this one, willing it dead but it stopped on it's point. He is taken dead by Stewart. Dropout incoming..

34: VIDEO REFEREE: Jesse Sene-Lefao claiming one. Checking how it found its way to the interchange forward.

34: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Jesse Sene-Lefao. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Sene-Lefao with the fingertips touch.. from the offload and all he had to do was fall over the line.

35: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
From right besides the sticks, Lyons adds two more.

37: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Peta Hiku. Kick to come.
Manly much like the emperor have their groove back! DCE and Lyon combine before they sent Peta Hiku across for their third try of the evening.

38: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Mid-range again, Lyon roars again.

40: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Trent Hodkinson makes an unforced error.
Hodkinson like a moth to the light, screamed in there to close down a dangerous Eagles attack.

40: We're back at the Mud Dome for the second half. Manly kick-off and we're off again.

41: Not what Canterbury need if they are going to get back into it.. a forward pass, second pass from the kick-off.

41: Followed by a PENALTY! Strip here and it is a simple decision to take the two.

42: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Penalty goal attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon steps up to make it a fourteen point lead.

44: Sam Kasiano is slightly late on Cherry-Evans who came into the game with a lower limb injury. PENALTY and DCE is receiving attention.

44: Kasiano is put ON REPORT. Ennis almost gets himself in trouble with his mouth there.

48: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Tony Williams makes an unforced error.
T-Rex gets himself in the way of a ball looking for Lafai and spills it.

49: VIDEO REFEREE: Brett Stewart might have slithered through and scored!

49: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Brett Stewart. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Once again, the kick unlocks the Bulldogs defense. Jamie Lyon kicked it for the 'Prince of Brookvale' who kicked it for himself and got a hand to it!

50: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon steps up to make it 20 the difference.. and slides it just inside.

52: Unlucky here.. Sam Perrett is down after being slightly kneed by Taufua after the fullback slid to get the ball. PENALTY and ON REPORT is the winger.

54: PENALTY! Bulldogs really needed that one. They were camped in their own end.

55: VIDEO REFEREE: Somehow it's fallen for Stanley who fell over the line. Checking contest and grounding.

55: TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Scored by Chase Stanley. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS..TRY! Whoops, the two Manly boys got in each other's way allowing it roll out to Stanley who fell over.

56: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson unsuccessful.
Trent Hodkinson looking to reduce it to fourteen. From the sideline, he can't swing it inside.

58: PENALTY Manly - just too eager were the Bulldogs on defense.

59: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Dunamis Lui makes an unforced error.
Dunamis Lui though doesn't play it properly. Bulldogs scrum.

61: Trent Hodkinson tried put the back three under pressure, only puts it over the sideline.

68: Bulldogs have lost all direction here.. a needless fourth tackle kick is knocked on.

70: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Brett Stewart. Kick to come.
The Prince is crowned again! A huge bomb looked to be comfortably in the possession of Perrett before Brett Stewart swooped in, caught, spun and scored.

71: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon from in front again, slams it through.

71: Short kick-off works for Canterbury!

73: UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Timoteo Lafai makes an unforced error.
Another boot straps pass to Lafai and the centre can't hold on.

74: CROWD: 9,235 here at Brookvale.

75: The mojo just isn't working for the Bulldogs. The movement involving the big blokes breaks down again.

76: PENALTY Dogs - leg pull.

78: Stanley is caught with a bomb. Changeover.

79: One on one steal for the Bulldogs! They have a chance for some consolation points.

79: Not looking good for Chase, he is assisted from the field.

80: Lafai tried forcing a pass, it went to ground and into Manly hands. The Sea Eagles knock it on after their advantage.

80: Bulldgs try the early kick for the wing again, it goes over the sideline. Manly will finish with the ball.

80: FULL-TIME! Manly have bruised and battered the Bulldogs to a 32-10 win.