Summary
First, some praise for the vanquished Roosters, who fought until the final siren despite their season effectively ending after just 18-minutes of this semi-final when they were caught cold by a red hot Manly blitz. It was one game too far in a nightmare season for the Chooks but James Tedesco and co can hold their heads high that they battled as far as they were ever likely to go.
The Sea Eagles were well worth their victory, and the margin didn’t flatter them. Daly Cherry-Evans ran the game from halfback, Tom Trbojevic was playing with the cheat code on for the 65 minutes he was on the park, and the men in purple defended stoutly when called upon. After being thrashed by Melbourne this was the perfect riposte ahead of a mouthwatering preliminary final against the Rabbitohs.
Thanks for joining me tonight. We’ll be back here tomorrow to see who will prevail out of the Panthers and Eels for the right to take on the Storm in the other preliminary final. Until then, goodnight.
Updated
Full-time: Manly Sea Eagles 42-6 Sydney Roosters
As comprehensive as you like from Manly, and the inspirational Tom Trbojevic. One game too far in a slog of a season for the Sydney Roosters.
We're taking on the @SSFCRABBITOHS in the #NRL Preliminary Final at @SuncorpStadium next Friday night!
— Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (@SeaEagles) September 17, 2021
Our first Preliminary Final since 2013 👍#ManlyForever #NRLFinals
79 mins: One attack remaining from both sides.
77 mins: Hutchison with the show-and-go, linebreak, offload, a couple of support runners exchange passes and Tedesco is in... but he’s not. Sydney’s abject night continues with play called back for a Hutchison forward pass.
76 mins: A JWH penalty allows Manly to kick beyond halfway. The Sea Eagles then lay siege. Foran has a dart, then Garrick, Olakau’atu, and finally Aloiai is over! But the ball is held up agonisingly millimetres above the tips of the Queensland grass.
74 mins: Sydney aren’t giving up yet. From a six-again on Manly’s 40m line they attack at speed down the right and Morris almost crosses. The ball comes infield and - not for the first time tonight - Walker kicks early and the Sea Eagles defuse the grubber under the posts.
72 mins:
TRY! Sea Eagles 42-6 Roosters (Saab, 70)
Poor Sydney. 10m from Manly’s line, the kick goes high crossfield from right to left, Tupou wins the tap-back in the air, but Keighran can’t hold on under pressure, Saab collects and gallops like a thoroughbred 90m to score in a demonstration of high class sprinting.
Garrick racks up even more points in his incredible season.
“GOODBYEEEEEEE 👋” – Jason Saab#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/L5zzCndAsl
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Updated
70 mins: Trbojevic leaves the field with a game-high two tries, a game-high 19 carries, a game-high 196m, and a game-high three linebreaks. In the battle of the No 1s there was only one winner.
68 mins: And from the drop-out Crichton spills the ball in contact on the first run back. Just not Sydney’s night.
67 mins: To their credit, the Chooks haven’t stopped working and they continue to probe despite the match situation. They earn another drop-out chasing a Tedesco grubber in-goal. Admirable stuff.
65 mins: Can Manly withstand all this pressure? JWH hits the line hard, then Baker, but the Sea Eagles stand firm, and the next runner is Hutchison who loses the Steeden in contact. For all the flowing attacking moves tonight, that period of defensive resilience will probably be the first thing Des Hasler compliments in the Monday review. Resolute stuff from Manly.
Trbojevic is finally brought to the bench. Cue in the rack.
63 mins: Sydney restart and build up a head of steam but Tedesco leaves a pass behind and momentum stalls again. Walker improvises with another grubber but this time Trbojevic is on hand to concede the line drop-out.
61 mins: Manly concede a cheap ruck penalty allowing the Roosters to attack from halfway. They get to the 30m line and there’s another infringement at the play-the-ball, and the momentum builds. Play fans out to the right and Ikuvalu is held up inches short. Walker then kicks on tackle three but DCE is back to cover the advancing Tedesco and the Sea Eagles are content with a line drop-out.
59 mins: A few seconds of chaos as the ball goes to ground on Sydney’s 30m line with Manly on the attack. The Roosters gain 20m in broken field but there’s another handling error before they can mount a serious assault. The Chooks retain possession though and build on the right edge before spreading left and Tupou accepting a long cutout spiral from Tedesco before the winger is penalised for passing off the ground just as he’s being dragged towards touch.
56 mins: The Sea Eagles get within inches of the line twice but they’re held up on both occasions, first Lawton, then J Trbojevic. It matters little because James Tedesco throws a tired forward pass in Sydney’s rebound set.
54 mins: A flop penalty against Easts on halfway invites more Manly pressure. Johnathan Thurston lavishes praise on Lachlan Croker, who was missing last week against Melbourne.
51 mins: It’s been a long, tough season for the Chooks, and the end cannot come soon enough. Manly must surely be considering wrapping Turbo Tommy in cotton wool. He’s limped away from a couple of contests tonight and they dare not risk their trump card.
Tupouniua knocks on to curtail the latest Sydney sortie. Not that it matters any more. You can tell the TV boys have given up because Ray Warren and Andrew Johns are discussing accepting a phonecall form Karl Stefanovic in the shower.
TRY! Sea Eagles 36-6 Roosters (Walker, 48)
It’s party time on the Corso! Another perfectly-timed flat short ball on halfway and a purple jersey streams into space. This time it’s Dylan Walker, and this time instead of offloading to guarantee a teammate a try he throws a massive extravagant dummy that wrongfoots Tedesco and allows him to skip under the posts. Joyous scenes for the Sea Eagles.
Garrick has six from six off the tee.
THE DUMMY 🥵🥵🥵#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/vGtLjkavb8
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Updated
TRY! Sea Eagles 30-6 Roosters (T Trbojevic, 46)
Trbojevic has a brace and equals Manly’s all-time season-best try-scoring haul. Jake Trbojevic makes the line-break on halfway, running onto the flattest of passes before offloading to Dylan Walker. He’s hauled down a couple of metres short, but from the ruck Tom Trbojevic hits the short ball and steams across the line like a runaway Mack Truck. Unstoppable. That is surely that.
Garrick continues his flawless night with the boot.
WOAHHH 😤😤😤
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Tom Trbojevic can score any kind of try!#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/OVRbQgsU1s
Updated
44 mins: Manly have a sniff with Schuster isolating Walker one-on-one on the left edge, but the ball goes to ground and Easts escape. The Roosters return the favour when Radley drops the ball on tackle four to waste a promising drive that suggested the Chooks were building up a head of steam. Big opportunity missed.
42 mins: Manly run the ball back at the start of the second half and DCE kicks deep to the corner to complete a solid set. Tedesco leads Sydney’s response to halfway and both sides are back in motion.
Half-time: Sea Eagles 24-4 Roosters
A surprisingly one-sided final so far. The Roosters have been poor in defence and attack, committing errors at will. Manly have attacked with panache, with DCE superb at controlling the play and Trbojevic the game’s most dangerous force. It looks a long way back for the Chooks, despite those two late points.
Updated
Penalty! Sea Eagles 24-6 Roosters (Keighran 40+2)
For some reason, after winning a captain’s challenge to earn a penalty after the half-time siren, Easts decide to kick a penalty goal, despite being so far behind on the scoreboard. Keighran knocks it over.
36 mins: Manly complete their restart set with no difficulty, but they allow the Roosters field position with an offside call that invites the Chooks to attack fro halfway instead of their own 10m line. A penalty soon follows and the drive eventually begins in earnest on the 20m line.
Easts probe to the right edge, then the left, with Nat Butcher. Sam Walker, on from the bench, then throws a floaty pass just before contact. Tedesco declines to engage with a Manly tackler steaming into his ribcage, and the bounce catches Morris off-guard and the opportunity goes begging.
TRY! Sea Eagles 24-4 Roosters (Harper, 32)
From a scrum 10m from their own line Sydney drive beyond halfway but Tedesco overcooks his kick and Garrick can mark and run back 30m. A couple of tackles later DCE plays the short side brilliantly, nipping around Radley to establish an overlap, from where Saab and Harper combine in a textbook wing-centre combination to charge down the right flank and carve the Chooks open.
Garrick kicks two more points to bring his tally to eight for the night.
FULL FORCE. 🦅🦅🦅#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/nzXnv2F7sh
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Updated
31 mins: Manly are probing. Taupau gains yards after contact with a huge fend. Foran and DCE are busy. But with momentum building there’s a soft knock-on and the Chooks have some respite.
29 mins: Superb defensive set from Manly, pinning Easts in their own half and forcing them to kick from inside 30m. Trbojevic then runs back with purpose, but rises from the tackle stretching his left hip flexor. DCE kicks early, playing the percentages, and Tedesco does brilliantly to avoid the drop-out. Easts are still forced to scrap for their lives to gain an inch though and again kick from well inside their own half.
TRY! Sea Eagles 18-4 Roosters (Ikuvalu, 26)
A full set, quickly reinforced by a set restart on the 10m line. The ball goes straight to the left and Tupou almost gets to the line. JWH takes a tackle, then the ball comes back to the right through hands, it’s slick, then Tedesco delivers the perfectly time cutout for Ikuvalu to cross in the corner. That was slick, very very slick.
Keighran drags the touchline conversion attempt well wide.
🤹♂ JUGGLING ACT 🤹♂
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Roosters strike BACK! 🐓#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/7RHC81KigJ
Updated
24 mins: Tedesco again sharks on the left wing, but he can’t pierce the line. The resulting attacking bomb is too heavy and Trbojevic marks in-goal then storms to the 20m line ready for an open field counterattack, only for play to be called back for Jake Trbojevic not being back onside in time. Lucky escape for the Roosters. They get some more fortune when an obstruction call goes against Manly for a lovely set of inside-outside quick hands on the right edge. Finally Easts have A1 field position.
21 mins: For the first time tonight Manly make little ground with their set (albeit still completed) and Easts have possession just inside their own half. On tackle four Tedesco makes his side’s first line break on the left wing and eats up 30m in the blink of an eye. Trbojevic comes across to make a smothering tackle - and Turbo dispossesses Teddy for the latest Roosters ignominy. This has been a thoroughly miserable start for Trent Robinson.
TRY! Sea Eagles 18-0 Roosters (Cherry-Evans, 18)
No matter. From the scrum under the posts Cherry-Evans waits for the Chooks to rush towards Trbojevic, sidestep around a couple of rampaging forwards, and limbo under the bar.
Garrick cannot miss.
This is probably over already and we’re barely a quarter in.
ANOTHER ONE.
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
🦅🦅🦅#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/aXV72KJaP3
Updated
16 mins: Sydney cough up cheap ball again! After reaching halfway with the help of a six-again, Keighran can’t hold on in contact and Manly are right back on the attack. Trbojevic gets back to work on the right, dancing downfield, evading tacklers, and there’s an overlap on the right if the Sea Eagles can exploit it - but Keighran gets a hand in the way and saves the try with a knock-on.
The @SeaEagles are SOARING out here! 🥵#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/SrQZNpG3DB
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Updated
TRY! Sea Eagles 12-0 Roosters (Foran, 12)
This is already looking very ugly for Sydney. The ball is played from the right edge infield and Trbojevic is the second receiver, hitting the line at speed, and he breaks through the defence, looks to his left and Foran has the simplest job in rugby league to accept the pass and touch down near the posts. Easts could be blown away if they’re not careful.
Garrick continues his pursuit of El Masri with a simple conversion.
Updated
12 mins: Both sides complete midfield sets but just as Easts are looking to establish a foothold Tupou loses the ball in contact and Manly are handed possession in Sydney’s half yet again.
9 mins: Sydney compound their early misery by kicking the restart out on the full and Manly are straight back onto the attack - and Trbojevic is again to the fore, hauled down just 3m from the line on the left. Cherry-Evans changes the line of attack, and there’s space on the right for Saab to exploit, but he drops a long spiralling pass, and the Roosters are let off the hook.
TRY! Sea Eagles 6-0 Roosters (T Trbojevic, 7)
The sheer weight of possession eventually counts for Manly. The ball goes through hands to the right, Trbojevic hits the line in the right centre position, dummies to his outside to earn a gap, then he powers over the line, through Keighran’s heroic - but ultimately futile tackle - and wrestles his way to a try on the second attempt. Advantage Turbo in the battle of the No 1s.
Super touchline conversion from Garrick makes it 6-0 Manly.
Tom Trbojevic has entered the chat.
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
🔥🔥🔥#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/DTcpS1tUbP
Updated
6 mins: Another infringement on a Manly drive and the Sea Eagles are gifted six again just 25m out, then again on the 10m line! Can they capitalise? No. Brilliant tackle from Marshke on Aloiai takes man and ball and forces the knock-on.
Elsewhere, Ikavalu is reported for next-to-nothing on Trbojevic. Despite the marginal infringement, the Sea Eagles regain possession.
4 mins: Manly are tight for four tackles but then DCE floats a long pass out to the right to set up promising kicking position on the last tackle. The skipper then kicks high to the posts but Morris is safe under pressure, leading Easts out of defence and they complete their second set on halfway.
2 mins: No mistakes from either side as Sydney complete their first set, but only one tackle into Manly’s first carry and there’s a penalty for a high shot and the Sea Eagles can load up on halfway.
Kick-off!
80 minutes until South Sydney find out their preliminary final foes...
Now here come the Sea Eagles in their traditional shade of red wine-stained lips with white details.
The Roosters walk out into the balmy Queensland night air in their predominately white change strip with blue trim.
It is warm and clear on Queensland’s central coast at the end of a beautiful dry sunny day. An onshore breeze may need to be accounted for off the kicking tee.
It’s something of a home match for Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who moved to the Queensland city at the age of 12. “Mackay was a massive part of my childhood and a big part of my rugby league development,” Cherry-Evans said during the week. “I can’t wait to get up there. Hopefully the Mackay crowd can get behind the Sea Eagles.’’
I am preparing to eat those same words. Knife and fork at the ready for a James Tedesco masterclass...
There are clearly vital match-ups all over the park, but none stand out quite like the battle of the No 1s. James Tedesco has been the game’s preeminent fullback in recent seasons, but Tom Trbojevic is ready to take that crown away. Both starred in NSW blue during the Origin series, and both will lead their sides into attack tonight.
Trbojevic has only played 16 matches for Manly this season, but has probably done enough for a Dally M medal with 50+ try involvements, 100+ tackle busts, and 200+ metres with ball in hand most nights.
Tedesco has been less eye-catching this season, but arguably more important than ever for his injury-hit side, accepting leadership responsibilities in the absence of so many senior bodies. “He’s been invaluable,” Trent Robinson said. “He’s the ultimate reason why we’re in the position we are at the moment along with many other people. He’s been the driving force behind our team.
“James sets his own tone and always has. He’ll continue to do that – he doesn’t need motivation from outside forces, there’s a huge internal drive there. Many, many people have played roles around that but he’s our captain and leader. He’s led from the front. He’s always been a leader but he’s also been that individual athlete. The weight of the captaincy hasn’t affected him either. That’s a real credit to him.”
Who will come out on top tonight?
Not long now.#NRLManlyRoosters #ManlyForever pic.twitter.com/C0eWFBQ7xH
— Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (@SeaEagles) September 17, 2021
Nick Tedeschi is not happy about the NRL rescheduling Melbourne Storm’s preliminary final after it clashed with the AFL grand final.
For rugby league to ever break free of the provincial shackles it seems hellbent on staying in, it needs to truly believe in itself. Shifting a preliminary final to allow viewers to watch another code suggests this administration does not fully believe in the game.
Mackay 🌞#NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/tOF2LtOCTW
— NRL (@NRL) September 17, 2021
Roosters XIII
Only one change to the run-on side from Trent Robinson with Ben Marschke replacing the suspended Sam Verrills as hooker. Verrills will miss a fortnight after being hit with a grade two careless high tackle charge.
“Having him [Marschke] back at North Sydney and watching him play with the tenacity he plays with, it’s been quite an easy choice to bring him in there,” said Trent Robinson. “He’s a really popular, positive guy and he takes his time to help the other guys in and around training. He’s always upbeat and positive. He’s played a lot of footy, we knew the scenario going into Tuesday night, and now Benny gets his opportunity. It’s a really important role and Benny has a real hooker temperament.”
There’s disappointing news on the bench for Chooks supporters with Siosiua Taukeiaho missing with a calf injury, however, it is a blow softened by the return of Nat Butcher from a knee injury.
1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Josh Morris 4. Adam Keighran 5. Matt Ikuvalu 6. Lachlan Lam 7. Drew Hutchison 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 20. Ben Marschke 10. Isaac Liu 11. Angus Crichton 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Victor Radley
Interchange: 14. Sam Walker 15. Nat Butcher 16. Egan Butcher 17. Fletcher Baker
Updated
Manly XIII
There was just the one change from Des Hasler when the team’s were announced midweek following the flogging at the hands of Melbourne, and it’s an improvement to the front row with hooker Lachlan Croker returning after missing with back tightness. Karl Lawton drops to the bench bumping Curtis Sironen out of the XVII.
Then, when the final line-ups came through, Sean Keppie was listed to start ahead of Martin Taupau, despite it being the former Canterbury and Wests forward’s 200th NRL appearance.
For the Sea Eagles, Tom Trbojevic and Jason Saab both have 25 tries for the season to date, meaning either could break the club record of 27 in a season held by Phil Blake in 1983. Reuben Garrick is another with milestones in sight. He comes into tonight’s clash with a season haul of 308 points and in touching distance of Hazem El Masri’s NRL record of 342 for Canterbury in 2004. Just one point tonight will move Garrick into outright second place.
1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Josh Aloiai 9. Lachlan Croker 16. Sean Keppie 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Josh Schuster 13. Jake Trbojevic
Interchange: 10. Martin Taupau 14. Dylan Walker 15. Karl Lawton 17. Taniela Paseka
Congratulations @MartyKapow on the 200 NRL games milestone 👏 👏 👏 #NRLManlyRoosters #ManlyForever pic.twitter.com/2yLsribQDP
— Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (@SeaEagles) September 17, 2021
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v Sydney Roosters in the first NRL semi-final. Kick-off at BB Print Stadium in Mackay is 7.50pm.
For one of these sides a long rollercoaster of a season will be bookended by this match-up. Back in round one at the Sydney Cricket Ground the Roosters strolled to a 46-4 victory and looked set for another premiership tilt. But a season decimated by injuries means only half that victorious Chooks line-up will feature tonight. After squeaking past Gold Coast with a field goal last week, they will need to up their game if they are to match Manly in an eliminator.
“It’s the reason why you play footy,” Jared Waerea-Hargreaves said during the week. “You play footy to be in the finals and to be there at the end of the year. We started training last November and you’ve really got to make the most of your time. Enjoy your time but not lose focus of why we’re here: that’s to win footy games and make sure we’re at the big dance.”
After losing to the Roosters in round one, Manly didn’t pick up a win until round five when Daly Cherry-Evans rescued his side’s season with a last minute drop goal against the Warriors. It’s been smooth sailing ever since with Tom Trbojevic returning from injury and catapulting the Sea Eagles into the playoffs in red-hot form. However, that momentum was halted in brutal fashion last time out against a Melbourne Storm outfit who rag-dolled their opponents for 80 minutes in a one-sided final.
Des Hasler’s troops will need to bounce back quickly, and do so against recent history with Easts winning four of the past five contests between these sides. But it’s a rivalry that goes back much further than that, and it’s history Trent Robinson is keen to channel.
“I think it’s great that you have a rivalry that goes back to the 1970s with guys like Crusher (Noel Cleal), going back and forth and Bobby Fulton. There’s an incredible history there right through to the big games and the modern era,” Robinson said. “It’s amazing. When people see those two jerseys on the field a lot of supporters see that and feel that, and that’s awesome.”
Who will survive and make it through to face Souths next weekend?
I’ll be back with more shortly, but if you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).
