Warriors and Manly pile on the tries in high-scoring finale

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Warriors v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Manly and the Warriors wound out their 2020 campaigns with an exciting display of open footy in a high scoring contest, with the Warriors finishing 40-24 winners.

The two sides scored a point per minute in an entertaining opening 40 minutes that ended with the Warriors leading 26-14 at halftime.

Manly opened the scoring in the 3rd minute when Daly Cherry-Evans fires a long ball which cut out three Warriors defenders and hit Rueben Garrick on the chest and he raced over to score in the right corner. Garrick then converted his try from the sideline.

It looked Manly were in a mood to rack up a big score when they scored again in the 8th minute when Corey Waddell used some nice late footwork at the line and he crashed over to score left of the posts. Garrick failed to convert from a relatively easy angle.

Then the tables turned and the Warriors ran in the next 5 tries in quick succession. In the 16th minute Chanel Harris-Tavita put up a rather ineffective kick, but Cherry-Evans and Tevita Funa fought over catching the ball in the Manly in-goal, neither catch the ball and Kodi Nikorima swooped in and grounded it for a try under the posts. Harris-Tavita converted.

Manly were then penalised for being offside at the restart, putting the Warriors right back on the attack and they took full advantage when Nikorima dished a nice ball to lead-runner Eliesa Katoa, who smashed through some feeble defence, stepped the cover defender and scored to the right of the sticks. Harris-Tavita converted.

In the 22nd minute, the Warriors decided to shift to the left where Peta Hiku ran to the line, held up a pass before hitting the straight-running Adam Keighran with a short ball, and he crashed over to score a good try. Harris-Tavita failed to add the extras.

Two minute later and the Warriors were in yet again, when they decide to return to the well on the left side and this time Keighran drew the winger and then sent a lovely ball to the unmarked Patrick Herbert, who strolled over to score in the corner. Harris-Tavita again failed to convert from out wide.

In the 32nd minute, the Warriors went left again through Nikorima but the defence rushed up and shut down his options, so he came back infield and linked with Harris-Tavita, who shaped to passbefore putting in a lovely grubber behind the Manly defence, where Katoa came through and displayed some magnificent handling to dive, regather the bouncing ball and score all in the same motion. Harris-Tavita converted from almost in front.

Just before halftime, Manly scored off the back of a brilliant 40/20 kick by Cherry-Evans. From the next set, Cherry-Evans grubbered from inside his own half and the ball bounced perfectly for Miski, who ran downfield, stepped inside Hiku, then stepped inside Adam Pompey, to score in the left corner. Garrick failed to convert.

The second half got underway in the best way possible for Manly, as Adam Pompey dropped the restart. From the next set, Lachlan Croker fired a beautiful cut-out flat ball which hit Abbas Miski sweetly and he raced 15 metres to score in the left corner. Garrick again failed to convert from out wide.

In the 56th minute, Harris-Tavita put up a bomb to the left corner, Garrick spilled it and Keighran pounced on the ball to score. Harris-Tavita failed to convert.

The Warriors put the game to bed in the 65th minute when Nikorima ran to the left and hit Keighran running back in towards the posts, who stepped to get through the line and then evaded a cover tackle to score under the posts. Harris-Tavita added the extras from in front.

Manly hit back with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. Taniela Paseka stormed onto a ball from Jake Trbojevic and the man mountain reached out and got the ball down for a try to the right of the sticks. Garrick converted.

The Warriors added one last try to bring up 40 when Nikorima chipped to the left wing and found Herbert, who took it cleanly and scored a good try. Garrick failed to convert right on fulltime.