WESTS TIGERS 18 MANLY SEA EAGLES 46
CALLUM WALKER, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Saturday
JASON SAAB notched a hat-trick as Manly were far too good a match for a demoralised Wests.
The Sea Eagles raced into a 24-6 half-time lead and never looked like relinquishing the two points to kick off Saturday’s Magic Round extravaganza.
When Tolutau Koula crossed on four minutes, the writing was on the wall with Saab getting his first moments later and Lehi Hopoate getting in on the act shortly after.
Luke Laulilii did respond for the Tigers to give Benji Marshall’s side a glimmer of hope, but Clayton Faulalo’s effort just after the half-hour mark dampened Wests’ spirits going into the half-time break.
Those spirits were quashed entirely when the barnstorming Haumole Olakau’atu grabbed a deserved four-pointer immediately following the resumption before Saab notched his second with the hour in sight.
Wests were simply no match for the power and pace of the Sea Eagles and Taniela Paseka was next to cross the whitewash as Saab registered a third three minutes later with the Tigers’ Heath Mason in the sinbin for a professional foul.
Credit to Wests, they kept going until the end with Jeral Skelton and Kai Pearce-Paul scoring a try apiece, but they were no match for Manly.
TIGERS: 1 Heath Mason, 2 Sunia Turuva, 3 Patrick Herbert, 4 Taylan May, 5 Luke Laulilii, 6 Jarome Luai, 7 Jock Madden, 8 Terrell May, 9 Latu Fainu, 10 Fonua Pole, 12 Kai Pearce-Paul, 16 Alex Seyfarth, 11 Sione Fainu. Subs: 14 Tristan Hope, 15 Mavrik Geyer (not used), 17 Royce Hunt, 18 Ethan Roberts, 19 Jeral Skelton, 21 Bunty Afoa (not used)
Tries: Laulilii (22), Skelton (75), Pearce-Paul (79); Goals: Madden 2/3, Herbert 1/1; Sin bin: Mason (59) – professional foul
SEA EAGLES: 1 Clayton Faulalo, 2 Jason Saab, 3 Tolutau Koula, 4 Reuben Garrick, 5 Lehi Hopoate, 6 Luke Brooks, 7 Jamal Fogarty, 8 Taniela Paseka, 14 Zach Dockar-Clay, 10 Ethan Bullemor, 11 Haumole Olakau’atu, 12 Ben Trbojevic. 13 Jake Trbojevic. Subs: 9 Jake Simpkin, 15 Nathan Brown, 16 Kobe Hetherington, 17 Jackson Shereb (not used), 18 Blake Wilson, 19 Joey Walsh (not used)
Tries: Koula (4), Saab (10, 56, 62), Hopoate (16), Faulalo (33), Okalau’atu (44), Paseka (59); Goals: Garrick 7/8
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 6-18, 6-24; 8-24, 8-30, 8-34, 8-40, 8-46, 12-46, 18-46
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Terrell May; Sea Eagles: Haumole Olakau’atu
Penalty count: 6-5; Half-time: 6-24; Referee: Grant Atkins; Attendance: 49,813