The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs tonight extended Manly’s losing streak to five, the first time Manly has lost 5 straight games in a season since 2005.
The game started in a manner that typified Manly’s season thus far when prop Willie Mason dropped the ball in the first hit-up. The Bulldogs scored their first try just a minute later through Curtis Rona and again five minutes later when Chase Stanley crossed out wide. Manly managed to hit back with a try to Daly Cherry-Evans and 2 goals to captain Jamie Lyon to reduce the deficit to just 2 points at halftime.
Manly’s Peta Hiku scored the first try of the second half to give Manly the lead, but it was soon taken away when Frank Pritchard, Rona and Moses Mbye all scored a try each over a 15 minute period to take a convincing lead.
Manly centre Steve Matai scored with 10 minutes left in the game, but Jamie Lyon was unable to convert which left them trailing by 8 points however the match was put beyond doubt when Corey Thompson scored in the dying minutes to secure a Bulldogs victory.
Bulldogs: 1. Sam Perrett; 2. Curtis Rona, 17. Moses Mbye, 4. Chase Stanley, 5.Corey Thompson; 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Trent Hodkinson; 8. Aiden Tolman (c), 9. Michael Lichaa, 15. Antonio Kaufusi, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Tony Williams, 13. Greg Eastwood.
14. Lloyd Perrett, 16. Frank Pritchard, 19. Danny Fualalo, 22. Herman Eseese.
Tries: Rona (1, 57), Stanley (5), Pritchard (52), Mbye (66), Thompson (78)
Goals: Hodkinson 2/6
Manly: 1. Peta Hiku; 2. Cheyse Blair, 4. Steve Matai, 5. Brayden Wiliame, 22. David Williams; 3. Jamie Lyon (c), 7. Daly Cherry-Evans; 8. Jake Trbojevic, 9. Matt Ballin, 10. Willie Mason, 11. Jamie Buhrer, 12. Tom Symonds, 16. Justin Horo.
13. Dunamis Lui, 15. Luke Burgess 17. Ligi Sao, 20. Jayden Hodges
Tries: Cherry-Evans (29), Hiku (48), Matai (70)
Goals: Lyon 2/4
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match:
Bulldogs: Moses Mbye
Manly: Peta Hiku
