Daly Cherry-Evans stars as Manly Sea Eagles thump Parramatta Eels 54-0

BRAD Arthur must have thought his pain had ended after the full-time whistle sounded. But the Sea Eagles turned the heat on their old foes off the field as well.

Lachlan Croker is mobbed by Daly Cherry-Evans and Sea Eagles teammates after scoring a try against the Eels. Picture: Phil Hillyard

• REPORT: Parramatta ‘embarrassed’ by 54-0 loss to Manly

IT was a big ask but Manly were somehow hotter than the scorching temperature on Sunday.

In 39-degree conditions, the Sea Eagles turned the early-season blowtorch on their old foes.

Brad Arthur must have thought his pain had ended after the full-time whistle sounded.

But he had to front his press conference right next door to the Manly dressing room, where Sea Eagles players let rip with a raucous rendition of their team song.

Daly Cherry-Evans makes a break for Manly against Parramatta. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It was so loud they drowned out Arthur’s comments. Maybe that’s not a bad thing for Eels fans.

Manly coach Trent Barrett was delighted at the emphatic victory.

“I was confident we would play well but I certainly didn’t expect the scoreline that we finished up with,” Barrett said.

“It was a great win, a really good performance at home in front of a lot of loyal supporters who turned up in pretty oppressive conditions. They were tough conditions to play in.”

Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans scores a try during his side’s romping win over Parramatta. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans may have been caught telling the smallest of fibs when he said: “It certainly didn’t come easy.”

“Nothing came easy today but it was a reflection of 17 players doing their job really well,” he said.

“It probably looks easy when you have all 13 players doing their job really, really well. There wasn’t a bad player on the field today.”

Lachlan Croker is mobbed by Daly Cherry-Evans and Sea Eagles teammates after scoring a try against the Eels. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Barrett was just as happy with keeping Parramatta scoreless as he was with his side’s 54 points.

“That was probably the most pleasing thing, in that heat, in particular,” Barrett said.

“I was just more pleased that we could hold them to zero. We had to be disciplined at the back end.

Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne looks on after another Manly try. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“It would have been easy to put the cue in the rack, particularly given how hot it was. That is probably what I’m most proud of.”

Barrett and Cherry-Evans both stated the win should ease any pressure on young five-eighth Lachlan Croker.

MANLY 54 (C Sironen 2 D Cherry-Evans L Croker A Fonua-Blake A Koroisau L Perrett J Taufua J Trbojevic tries D Cherry-Evans 9 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 0 at Lottoland. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall