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AAP
AAP
Sport
Scott Bailey

Manly demolish Dogs and NRL record books

Tom Trbojevic has scored three of Manly's 11 tries in a record-breaking day out against Canterbury. (AAP)

Manly have racked up the biggest win in their 74-year history as Tom Trbojevic's hot streak continued with a 66-0 flogging of Canterbury at Bankwest Stadium.

In an absolute cakewalk Trbojevic added another hat-trick to his long list of achievements for 2021, while Jason Saab also claimed three tries.

Reuben Garrick also equalled the Sea Eagles record for the most points in a match with 30 via two tries and 11 goals.

The win was also the biggest in the NRL since Parramatta beat Cronulla 74-4 in 2003, and finished as the second biggest of the NRL-era.

In doing so, Manly also became just the fourth side in history to post 50 points in three straight games after also wiping out North Queensland and Gold Coast in their last starts.

But this was by far their most dominant day.

With no crowd at Bankwest Stadium and very little resistance in defence from Canterbury, this felt every bit like a training run for the Sea Eagles.

But instead, this is NRL in 2021.

And in many ways, the Bulldogs were their own worst enemies in what qualified as their worst performance in recent memory.

In Kyle Flanagan's return to the halves Canterbury couldn't force a missed tackle out of Manly for the first 37 minutes.

Their last tackle options were routinely poor, with the ball twice finding front-rowers on the final play in two of their best attacking opportunities.

They were also regularly stripped for numbers on the edges, with Saab in particular busting downfield regularly.

All of Trbojevic's tries came in that fashion in the space of 18 minutes, when both he and Daly Cherry-Evans put Saab free and the fullback loomed up in support.

About the only thing that didn't go the fullback's way was when he put his brother Ben over for what should have been his first NRL try with a pass over the line, only for it to be called back for an obstruction.

By that point Manly were well on their way to toppling their previous biggest win of 70-7 over Penrith in 1973.

Trbojevic also put Garrick over for Manly's first, while sending Saab over for one of his tries.

Prop Toafofoa Sipley also bagged a double as he made light work of Canterbury's middle, while second-rower Karl Lawton got one.

The win moved Manly into the top five at the expense of the Sydney Roosters, becoming the first change to the top group of teams since round five.

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