Eagle Rock was delivered brutally on the Northern Beaches as Manly bashed and belted Melbourne in a brutal 18-8 victory at 4 Pines Park on Friday night.
Anthony Seibold’s side has spoken of discovering a “Manly mentality” in its back-bending defence this season – Haumole Olakau’atu telling the Herald three weeks ago that, “when [teams] come to our home ground, we just … bash them”.
Manly have been playing away, and the mentality has been MIA in recent weeks. Until the Storm were smashed every which way in one of the most physical performances in recent memory.
The Sea Eagles’ shots went wrong at times. Rookie winger Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega was sin-binned for rushing in with a heavy shoulder charge that left Cameron Munster sick and sorry.
Melbourne’s Trent Loiero had the Brookvale hill ready to mete out retribution of their own when he clipped golden boy Tom Trbojevic on the chin, forcing both star No.1s off for HIAs before half-time.
Thankfully, both were right to continue. Daly Cherry-Evans too, the maestro behind Manly’s 80-minute assault, wore heavy, late contact from Tui Kamikamica and Justin Olam that landed both hitmen in the bin as well.
Lachlan Croker bags a try.Credit: Getty Images
For every shot that missed, half a dozen landed. Justin Olam, yes, Justin Olam, is still looking for the maroon and white bus that rocked him in the first half. He wasn’t the only Storm player in Olakau’atu’s sights.
Jake Trbojevic led the barrage, Tuaimalo Vaega hit like few wingers should and even Aaron Woods got in on the fun in his first 15 minutes as a Sea Eagle.
To their credit, the Storm eventually answered in kind – Olam and Eliesa Katoa submitting worthy efforts to the highlights reel.
Pulling the strings behind the brutality was Cherry-Evans, with composure and three penalty goals throughout the night. The 34-year-old kicked judiciously and ran regularly as Manly dominated contact and possession early.
Tom Trbojevic celebrates victory.Credit: Getty Images
It led to the Sea Eagles’ first points. Fearing he was needed in the line, Munster rushed up from fullback and was duly spotted by Trbojevic. Calling Cherry-Evans into the half-chance, Trbojevic duly swooped on a pinpoint chip kick.
Will Warbrick’s 21st minute try – courtesy of a simple left-side shift and poor defensive read by Brad Parker – brought the Storm back into it, with penalty goals making for a 10-6 half-time advantage for Manly.
There was no respite after the break, Storm captain Christian Welch shoved back several metres on the first carry with a mistake forced in the play-the-ball.
The next try didn’t come immediately. Only a Woods knock-on, in stripping Jahrome Hughes under immense pressure, denied Ethan Bullemor a scrambling 44th-minute try.
Hughes’ fortuitous grounding of another grubber, after first fumbling it, denied Woods a four-pointer of his own.
The Kamikamica hit on Cherry-Evans came in that play, with Loiero cited for a hip-drop tackle on Olakau’atu moments later, allowing for a 12-6 Manly lead.
When Olam whacked Cherry-Evans and ensured Melbourne were down to 12 again, the Sea Eagles couldn’t land the knockout blow.
Finally, with seven minutes to play, it came. Fittingly, the biggest man on the field combined with one of the cleanest hitters on either side.
Taniela Paseka took on Melbourne’s line, so resolute for so long as more than 60 per cent of the game was played at their end of the field.
Paseka hit the defence, turned and flopped a ball out the back for Lachlan Croker, the underrated hooker with 31 tackles already to his name.
Manly finally had their win. And the mentality is well and truly rediscovered.
