Refer: http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/lhqmatchreport/sea-eagles-smash-eels/2008/07/19/1216163157421.html
Eagles sore but still fly
Andrew Stevenson | July 19, 2008
Manly 28 Parramatta 10
PARRAMATTA limped into Brookvale Oval last night after a string of poor performances and missing star five-eighth Feleti Mateo. But it was Manly who spent the first half on one leg, losing captain and playmaker Matt Orford, ruled out before kick off, new captain Jamie Lyon, with a knee injury (after 18 minutes) and prop Jason King, with a badly damaged ankle five minutes later.
Alone at the top of the table after they lapped Cronulla last weekend, Manly had everything to play for but very little to play with. But what they had was still enough to first give the Eels a lesson in hard-hearted football and then run away 28-10 victors.
If losing their captain and two of their starting 17 didn't pose problems enough, the home side soon found themselves behind 6-0, courtesy of a sharp try to the competition's slowest five-eighth, Mark Riddell, standing in at the opening for Mateo.
Patched up with the inexperienced Jeff Robson at half and Steve Menzies filling in at five-eighth, Manly took time to find a rudder.
Time and again the Eels pushed Manly back to their line, knowing they needed to move swiftly on their wounded opponents. Left centre Krisnan Inu was a constant menace and then Chad Robinson leapt above Steve Matai to claim a Brett Finch kick and wrestle the ball towards the ground. But referee Shayne Hayne was late on the scene and unable to award the try when the video referee sent it back down as a ref's call.
Then Jarryd Hayne rose over the top of Brett Stewart - and almost under the posts - but the Manly fullback had the presence of mind to turn and tackle his opposite number and keep the lead to a converted try.
But when Manly got their chance, just shy of half an hour into the match, they quickly nailed the Eels with a simple dummy-half barge to hooker Matt Ballin and then levelled the score, courtesy of David Williams's conversion.
Five minutes out from the break, Manly centre Steve Bell smashed through the line, ran 45 metres and thought he was on his way to glory, having chosen to take on Hayne rather than pass to the irrepressible Menzies who stayed in dogged support. Doubtless Bell didn't even feel Hayne's fingers brush against his right boot but it was enough to bring him down.
But Parramatta had used their last get-out-of-jail card. Todd Lowrie was knocked over the sideline by Anthony Watmough, and Manly, with their last play of the half, spread the ball to the right wing where Stewart's speed left the defence flustered enough for David Williams to score and end the half with Manly riding an improbably 10-6 lead.
Parramatta returned apparently better for the rest, and Finch, the last half of any experience left standing, got a cut-out ball to giant winger Tony Williams - signed to the Sea Eagles from next year - who didn't need any of his 107kg to plant the ball down and leave the scores level.
But that was a close as the Eels would get. Watmough then steamed his battleship frame in from dummy half to reclaim the lead, extended to 16-10 with the conversion.
Next trip to Parramatta's danger zone saw prop Glen Hall help up and then David Williams bagging a second try. With 25 minutes still to play, Manly claimed a 20-10 lead.
And the Sea Eagles kept coming. Menzies' inside pass opened a wide channel for Watmough who put Matai in to score. With 12 minutes left Brett Stewart conjured an unbelievable pass for Matai to bag his double.
MANLY 28 (S Matai 2 D Williams 2 M Ballin A Watmough tries D Williams 2 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 10 (M Riddell T Williams tries K Inu goal) at Brookvale Oval. Referee: S Hayne. Crowd: 18,970.