Clutching at a spot for the Manly Sea Eagles hard man rival fans just love to hate
NICK WALSHAW THE DAILY TELEGRAPH MARCH 28, 2014
RAY Warren, they say, has a man crush on Steve Matai.
Which, if you add up all those outside the northern beaches with similar feelings to the Channel Nine sage, takes the total count to ... err, one.
Yet while he may be less popular than sand is in Speedos, there's no doubting the NRL bad boy boasts his own brand of special.
Running, tackling, limping. Neck-rubbing, try-assisting, shoulder-cracking, match-winning.
Take that moment, with 26 minutes gone, when the New Zealander not only ran the perfect line for five-eighth Kieran Foran, but then sent the ball a man wider in one of those wonderful catch, pass motions - putting Cheyse Blair over out wide.
And look again, eight minutes after that,
when the Sea Eagles Public Enemy No. 1 drove Anthony Minichiello so far back into his own in-goal at the northern end of the ground, two schooners were knocked from the front bar of the Olympic Hotel.
Truly, here was a night where Matai wasn't just in the game - he was the game.
Even had a crack at field goal.
And on the coverage, "Rabs" was full of praise. At the ground, Roosters fans not so much.
At one point, a group of Bondi boosters giving the Manly three-quarter one of those bird signals that, we can assure you, had nothing to do with him being a Sea Eagle.
And, yes, we know the Kiwi can grate.
Fans forever filthy with the way this cornrowed assassin grabs at injured calves, knees, shoulders and necks. Oh, how he grabs at the neck.
And yet, would you run at him?
In a side famed for its toughness, Matai is one of the undisputed poster boys. The "Guess What? Manly Hates You Too" sign most probably painted by him.
Or maybe it was Foran. Or skipper Jamie Lyon. Anthony Watmough, Brenton Lawrence ... hell, you wouldn't even put it past the coach.
Truly, Tonka don't make 'em as tough as this mob.
Despite going into this game as outsiders, the Sea Eagles didn't just outplay the defending premiers, they stopped them from crossing the tryline for 73 minutes.
And then, even when winger Daniel Tupou did get over, the referees denied it.
Notably, it wasn't down the side of Matai. That left edge, which he patrols with all the snarl of a junk yard Doberman, remaining unbreached.
Of course, there was also plenty to keep the crowd entertained too.
Matai spending at least the final six minutes of the opening half clutching at what appeared to be a leg injury so serious, two Manly medical staffers moved to his sideline to investigate.
But he never came off. Never does.
Part of that unique brand of special.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/clutching-at-a-spot-for-the-manly-sea-eagles-hard-man-rival-fans-just-love-to-hate/story-fni3gnk1-1226868108334
