PENRITH PANTHERS 10 MANLY SEA EAGLES 26
TOM SMITH, CommBank Stadium, Parramatta, Saturday
DALY CHERRY-EVANS outshone counterpart Nathan Cleary to condemn the reigning premiers to outright last position on the NRL ladder.
The Panthers shaved the Sea Eagles’ 14-point half-time lead to just four midway through the second stanza, before Haumole Olakau’atu and Tolutau Koula put the game to bed.
Anthony Seibold swapped one Trbojevic for another, with Tom returning from a knee lay-off but Jake going out with concussion.
Penrith finally snapped a five-game losing streak against the Roosters last Saturday, and had won nine of their past ten clashes with Manly – but were no match for Cherry-Evans and Tommy Turbo.
Referee Belinda Sharpe continued the weekend’s sin-bin blitz by punishing Scott Sorensen, Siosiua Taukeiaho and Paul Alamoti.
Reuben Garrick and Tommy Talau struck twice early down the right edge, before Garrick added a penalty-goal and Sorensen shoulder-charged Nathan Brown before the break.
But Blaize Talagi and Izack Tago ate into the margin shortly after the restart.
The game opened up with Taukeiaho (high tackle on Isaiah Papali’i) and Paul Alamoti (illegally taking out Cherry-Evans in pursuit of a dangerous Tom Trbojevic kick) in the bin.
And the Sea Eagles took advantage, swooping via Olakau’atu off a Cherry-Evans bomb then Koula off an expertly-timed pass from his captain.
PANTHERS: 1 Dylan Edwards, 2 Paul Alamoti, 3 Izack Tago, 4 Casey McLean, 5 Thomas Jenkins, 6 Blaize Talagi, 7 Nathan Cleary, 8 Moses Leota, 14 Brad Schneider, 10 Liam Henry, 11 Scott Sorensen, 12 Liam Martin, 13 Isaah Yeo. Subs (all used): 9 Luke Sommerton, 15 Isaiah Papali’i, 16 Lindsay Smith, 17 Mavrik Geyer
Tries: Talagi (46), Tago (51); Goals: Cleary 1/2; Sin bin: Sorensen (33) – shoulder charge, Alamoti (62) – professional foul
SEA EAGLES: 1 Tom Trbojevic, 5 Lehi Hopoate, 3 Tolutau Koula, 4 Reuben Garrick, 14 Tommy Talau, 6 Luke Brooks, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans, 10 Siosiua Taukeiaho, 9 Jake Simpkin, 16 Ethan Bullemor, 11 Haumole Olakau’atu, 12 Ben Trbojevic, 13 Jazz Tevaga. Subs (all used): 15 Corey Waddell, 17 Nathan Brown, 18 Gordon Chan Kum Tong, 22 Caleb Navale
Tries: Garrick (6), Talau (19), Olakau’atu (65), Koula (68); Goals: Garrick 5/6; Sin bin: Taukeiaho (59) – high tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-14; 4-14, 10-14, 10-20, 10-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Panthers: Isaah Yeo; Sea Eagles: Daly Cherry-Evans
Penalty count: 7-9; Half-time: 0-14; Referee: Belinda Sharpe; Attendance: 14,534
