ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS 24 MANLY SEA EAGLES 40
CALLUM WALKER, Jubilee Stadium, Saturday
MANLY kept their slim finals hopes alive with an important seven-try victory over St George.
Daly Cherry-Evans wound back the years with an impressive display, registering 16 points and having a hand in everything that the Sea Eagles did well.
It was Cherry-Evans’ pass that sent Corey Waddell over on five minutes before Lyhkan King-Togia responded for the Dragons.
But Manly hit the hosts with two tries in two minutes around the midway point in the first half to go into an 18-6 lead, with Tolutau Koula and Cherry-Evans both dotting down.
Just to rub salt into the wounds before half-time, Aaron Schoupp took advantage of another Cherry-Evans break to make it 22-6.
The Dragons were given a lifeline at the start of the second half when Toafofoa Sipley was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
And tries from Jacob Liddle and Christian Tuipulotu brought St George back to within just four at 22-18 with 53 minutes gone.
But with Cherry-Evans supplying the final passes, Waddell grabbed his second on the hour before Tommy Talau rushed through the Dragons’ defence.
Emre Guler did pull one back for the hosts but the final word belonged to the Sea Eagles as Caleb Navale latched onto a pinpoint Cherry-Evans grubber to round off proceedings.
DRAGONS: 1 Clint Gutherson, 2 Christian Tuipulotu, 3 Hayden Buchanan, 4 Mathew Feagai, 5 Tyrell Sloan, 6 Lyhkan King-Togia, 7 Kyle Flanagan, 8 Emre Guler, 9 Damien Cook, 10 David Klemmer, 11 Jacob Halangahu, 12 Jaydn Su’a, 13 Jack De Belin. Subs (all used): 14 Jacob Liddle, 15 Luciano Leilua, 16 Hame Sele, 17 Loko Pasifiki Tonga
Tries: King-Togia (10), Liddle (48), Tuipulotu (53), Guler (78); Goals: Flanagan 4/4
SEA EAGLES: 1 Tom Trbojevic, 2 Jason Saab, 3 Tolutau Koula, 4 Tommy Talau, 5 Lehi Hopoate, 6 Luke Brooks, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans, 8 Matt Lodge, 9 Jake Simpkin, 10 Siosiua Taukeiaho, 11 Corey Waddell, 12 Ben Trobjevic, 13 Jazz Tevaga. Subs (all used): 14 Aaron Schoupp, 15 Caleb Navale, 16 Ethan Bullemor, 17 Toafofoa Sipley
Tries: Waddell (5, 58), Koula (20), Cherry-Evans (22), Schoupp (40), Talau (65), Navale (80); Goals: Cherry-Evans 6/7; Sin bin: Sipley (42) – dangerous tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-12, 6-18, 6-22; 12-22, 18-22, 18-28, 18-34, 24-34, 24-40
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dragons: Damien Cook; Sea Eagles: Daly Cherry-Evans
Penalty count: 4-5; Half-time: 6-22; Referee: Adam Gee; Attendance: 9,769