Manly Sea Eagles beat Raiders twice in golden point in 2017

DESPITE the saga that is the Sea Eagles salary cap, Manly still owns the numbers that matter when it comes to Saturday’s rival, Canberra — a team finding it impossible to win close games.

Daly Cherry-Evans.

MANLY coach Trent Barrett has discussed some fairly ugly figures in recent days.

But this isn’t one of them.

Despite the ongoing saga that is the Sea Eagles salary cap breach, Manly still owns the numbers that matter when it comes to beating Saturday’s rival, Canberra — a team finding it impossible to win close games.

Already this year, the Green Machine has lost its three opening matches by five points, combined.

The result continues a worrying streak under coach Ricky Stuart, which has seen Canberra win only nine of 36 games decided by six points or less.

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Daly Cherry-Evans kicks a field goal in extra time during the round 13 against the Canberra Raiders.

And now they face the Sea Eagles, the same mob who beat them not once, but twice in Golden Point last year.

In Round 8 at GIO Stadium, Dylan Walker famously got Manly home on the back of a penalty goal in extra time. A kick which, you may remember, put a full stop on a spiteful 85 minutes of sledging.

Then only four rounds later, it was a Daly Cherry-Evans’ field goal which sunk the Raiders, again in overtime.

According to Fox Sports Statistics, if Canberra are rolled again by two points or less, they will be the first team to lose four straight by no more than a penalty goal since the 1926 Balmain Tigers.

Incredibly, no team in history has dropped its first three by so little as the Raiders, either.

Elsewhere, Barrett has stressed his players won’t be distracted by the ongoing salary cap saga.

While the Sea Eagles have confirmed they will challenge Monday’s penalty, the future for some players will become cloudy if the NRL sanctions aren’t overturned.

Blake Austin has paid the price for Canberra’s winless start to the season.

“We’ve spoken as a group about it and we’ll do our best to keep them informed,” Barrett said.

“The players that I’ve got in the room now are here to do a job, they’re professionals and we’ll keep them in the loop as much as we can.

“I would love to keep all of them and what happens over the next couple of weeks will determine what we’ve got this year and what we’ve got next year.”

Already, several players have spoken about the club being galvanised by the drama.

“It’s certainly not of their concern and nothing of their doing,” Barrett said. “It’s certainly not unusual for this group of players to be going through a week like this given some of the stuff that has happened.

“It’s no difference to us, we’ve got two points to get tomorrow against Canberra and we really need them.”

Originally published as Manly Sea Eagles beat Raiders twice in golden point in 2017