Manly have secured their second win of the season with a composed and ultimately convincing 28-18 victory over the St George Illawarra Dragons at WIN Stadium, handing the home side their sixth straight loss of the campaign.
In front of 11,381 fans on a cool Friday evening, the Sea Eagles' class in key moments proved the difference in a match where both sides struggled for fluency but Manly consistently found the sharper edge.
The visitors dominated the opening quarter, racing to a 16-0 lead on the back of strong carries, repeat sets and a Dragons defence that repeatedly invited pressure. Reuben Garrick opened the scoring with a well‑finished effort in the corner, before Tom Trbojevic sliced through soft right‑edge defence to extend the margin. From the ensuing kick‑off, Manly struck again, with Lehi Hopoate's early involvement creating space for Garrick to burst into the backfield and score his second, leaving the Dragons stunned.
St George Illawarra finally found a foothold through Luciano Leilua, who caught Manly napping with a quick tap and barge-over to get the home side on the board. Jacob Liddle then powered over from dummy‑half, dragging the Dragons back into the contest at 16-12. A late attacking flurry before halftime nearly produced an equaliser, but Tom Trbojevic's desperate defensive effort dislodged the ball from Setu Tu as he attempted to ground it, preserving Manly's narrow lead at the break.
The Dragons carried that momentum into the second half, and within minutes they were level. Tu, who had been denied moments earlier, showed great awareness to regain his feet after slipping in contact and force his way over. Valentine Holmes' sideline conversion put the hosts ahead 18-16, and suddenly the home crowd sensed a shift.
But as quickly as the Dragons surged, Manly steadied. Their middle forwards began to win the ruck again, and repeat sets inside the Dragons' 20m zone eventually cracked the defence. Kobe Hetherington charged onto a short ball and crashed over under the posts, restoring Manly's lead. The Sea Eagles then delivered the decisive blow through a sweeping right‑edge movement orchestrated by Tom Trbojevic, whose late pass sent Hopoate diving over in the corner. Fogarty's sideline conversion pushed the margin to 10, and the Dragons' attack - already disjointed all evening - lacked the precision to mount a comeback.
St George Illawarra had chances, but their execution repeatedly let them down. Forward passes, poor last‑tackle options and a lack of direction inside Manly's half stalled promising sets. Even when presented with field position late in the match, they failed to build pressure, often turning the ball over cheaply.
Manly, by contrast, were composed and clinical when it mattered. They controlled the tempo for much of the contest, their edges were dangerous, and their defensive scramble repeatedly shut down Dragons opportunities.
Next week the Dragons will head up to Olympic Park to face the in-form Bunnies while Manly have a big trek up to Townsville where they'll pay the Cowboys.