‘Couldn’t play any worse’: Manly savaged by club legend Paul Vautin

The Manly Sea Eagles have not brought the magic to Magic Round in Brisbane with a club legend slamming the side’s performance.

Paul Vautin didn't love what he saw from his former club. Photo: Getty Images

It may have been a home game for the Manly Sea Eagles but the Brisbane Broncos have torn up at Suncorp Stadium, thrashing the Sydney-siders 32-0 on Magic Round.

After a thriller in the first game between the Raiders and Bulldogs, visiting Broncos were well and truly at home at Magic Round.

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The packed house gave the Broncos a rousing ovation as they ran out, giving Manly a hostile reception.

The Sea Eagles have not played the Broncos at Brookvale Oval since 2014. In 11 matches, the Sea Eagles twice played in Gosford and have taken seven home games to Suncorp Stadium. Friday night’s match was the eighth.

The Sea Eagles have claimed three wins and now five losses from those matches where they were listed as the home side at Suncorp Stadium.

But Sea Eagles legend Paul Vautin was anything but pleased by what he had seen from his former club just before halftime.

“They couldn’t play any worse if they tried. They drop the ball. Goes into touch. Forward pass. They need half time quickly. No more points,” he said on Channel 9.

“You know, (if) they settle down and play some just decent Rugby League in the second half, they can get back into it.”

This Haumole Olakau'atu image says it all. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

While they were better in the second half to avoid a blowout after a 20-0 halftime score, the Sea Eagles weren’t that much better, only scoring a 77th minute consolation try through Ben Trbojevic.

On Fox League, Corey Parker slammed the Sea Eagles after the game.

“The Manly Sea Eagles, they could play until midnight tonight and they’d still be trying to chase their tail,” Parker said.

“The looked rudderless at different times, I thought DCE tried extremely hard but just wasn’t able to come up with any punch.”

Greg Alexander called Cherry-Evans’ performance “inspirational” but that he played a lone hand for the disappointing Sea Eagles.

Michael Ennis added that “it was hard to get a read on the Manly side at the moment — some weeks they’re great, some weeks they’re awful”.

Alexander added that Tom Trbojevic was far from his best and that he “got through it”.

Vautin was much harsher on Trbojevic’s performance.

“I am Tom Trbojevic’s biggest fan but tonight he doesn’t look right,” Vautin said on Nine.

“He has seriously almost been a passenger for a lot of the game.

“I don’t want to sound too harsh … but Tom is just not the player that we know he can be. He is obviously not 100 per cent. He is out there doing his best, but he just lacks the flair tonight.”

The Broncos were on fire. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Trbojevic ran 142m in 17 runs and contributed a try assist for his brother and two line break assists. The Sea Eagles wingers were dominant for the side, with Reuben Garrick (194m) and Jason Saab (192m) leading the way for the side. But the forwards struggled, with only Josh Aloiai’s 103m running into triple figures.

It was pretty close to his opposite number Reece Walsh, who contributed 15 runs for 143m, as well as a line break, line break assist and two try assists.

The Broncos were lead by a monster game from front rower Payne Haas with 193m in 19 runs.

Winger Selwyn Cobbo also had 202m and a hat-trick for the Broncos.

Originally published as ‘Couldn’t play any worse’: Manly savaged by club legend Paul Vautin