By Fraser Barton
Manly and Newcastle have played out a 32-all draw in a helter-skelter NRL game that saw five lead changes and two periods of golden point that couldn’t separate the teams.
Jackson Hastings’ 50-metre drop goal attempt at the end of the second golden point half agonisingly drifted just right of the posts as players fell to the ground following 90 minutes of end-to-end action.
Hastings had two prior attempts in the final five minutes of Saturday’s contest in Mudgee, both of which were charged down, with Daly Cherry-Evans also unable to seal a win off the boot for Manly.
It was a deserved result after Manly had fought back when trailing 28-16 midway through the second half while Newcastle battled hard after overcoming a 10-0 deficit early in the contest.
When Dominic Young soared for his fourth try of the game two minutes from time it gave fullback Lachlan Miller the chance to kick the Knights home, but his conversion dragged left.
Young scored the pick of Saturday’s 12 tries earlier in the second half when he skipped down the right edge inside his half and after passes between Miller, Hastings and Tyson Frizell, the 200cm winger crossed for his third.
Newcastle’s Dominic Young scored four tries in Mudgee on Saturday.Credit:Getty
But Manly responded with conviction, first through Kelma Tuilagi then Kaeo Weekes before Reuben Garrick’s diving finish put the hosts up four with 10 minutes remaining.
Tom Trbojevic topped Manly’s run metres with 232 and two try assists, while Miller had two assists of his own as he too cracked 200 metres for the Knights along with Young.
Manly were the quicker team out of the blocks in an opening half that featured seven tries.
The hosts had two in the opening 10 minutes to Haumole Olakau’atu and Christian Tuipulotu.
Olakau’atu broke two tackles on halfway and streaked to the line with Miller seemingly mistaking the dead-ball line for his own try-line for the big forward to score untouched.
When Tuipulotu had their second momentum was fully with the Sea Eagles, but Olakau’atu was sin-binned for a professional foul shortly thereafter and Greg Marzhew and Jack Johns crossed within five minutes of each other.
Newcastle had their third when Young scored the first of his two opening half tries in a smooth right-edge attacking play, before the Sea Eagles did the same on a short-side blitz for Brad Parker to dot down.
At 16-all, Newcastle swept down the right edge and with field position, executed a brilliant blindside play with quick hands for Young to cross again and take a 22-16 lead into the sheds.
Manly’s undefeated record in Mudgee remains intact with the draw while the Knights are also undefeated from their two games in the regional NSW town.
AAP
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