Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans concedes full-time penalty attempt was a ‘hit-and-hope’ shot
MANLY skipper Daly Cherry-Evans conceded he was never a chance of landing a long-range penalty goal after full-time to send the match against Wests Tigers into golden point.
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IT was the impossible kick not even a superstar player thought he could nail.
Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans conceded he was never a chance of landing a long-range penalty goal after full-time on Thursday night to send the match against Wests Tigers into golden point.
Behind 22-20 at Campbelltown Stadium, Manly received a penalty with 29 seconds remaining. Cherry-Evans opted for a brave but questionable 47-metre penalty goal attempt just a metre in from the sideline.
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It would have been a miracle kick, but it fell about one-and-a-half metres in front of the cross bar.
Defeat continues to a horrible season for the Sea Eagles, who can’t quite escape the dogfight for the dreaded wooden spoon.
Asked was he confident of nailing the goal, Cherry-Evans said: “No — it was a hit-and-hope if I’ve ever done one.
“It’s a shame it didn’t go through.
“It was a bit out of my range, obviously, but it would have been nice to get it, that’s for sure.
“That was deadset everything I had. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough. It would have been nice to have not been in that position.
“There were a lot of variables in the game but it’s a real shame I couldn’t nail that kick. That’s footy, unfortunately.”
Although he watched on nervously, Tigers coach Ivan Cleary was never worried about Cherry-Evans landing the goal.
“Honestly, I thought it was too far. He nailed it. I’m not sure about Pythagoras but it was a long way,” Cleary said.
“I think he hit it pretty much perfectly but it was nice to see it go short though.”
Manly remain anchored on 16 points competition points, just two points clear of Parramatta and North Queensland, who play on Friday night in Townsville.
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Manly’s final match of the season will be against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium next Sunday. The Sea Eagles’ horrid week finished as it started — with pain. The season cannot end quick enough for Manly, who are playing under intense external pressure.
Manly though hung tough until full-time — scoring two late tries — but just fell short.
What a week for Manly coach Trent Barrett, who was heavily criticised over his decision to resign by Sea Eagles owner Scott Penn.
Barrett was still refusing to discuss his decision to resign late on Thursday night.
“I’d like to say something sooner rather than later, obviously,” Barrett said. “It’s not ideal but it is what it is. When the time is right, we’ll sit down. I’m okay, it’s not doing my head in.
“My focus is these blokes (his team).
“I just have to get in there (to the dressing room), they’re shattered, again. But I won’t be commenting on any of that now.”
Pressed on his team’s horrible season, Barrett said: “It has been a hard year but it’s all experience too. I’ll be better for it. I will be a better coach for some of the things I have had to go through.
“And I do love coaching. It will make me a better coach down the track, I’ve got no doubt about that.”
Despite the turmoil, Manly certainly look as though they’re still playing for each other — and their coach.
They started and finished well. They just can’t seem to win those close games.
“Everyone knows what I think of the players,” Barrett said. “I love the blokes that I’ve got there.
“We have had our fair share of adversity to deal with this year. They don’t give up, that’s what makes it hard to take. I feel for them.
“They put themselves in positions to win so many games this year and we just haven’t been able to get over the line. I can count eight. There is a lesson in it for a lot of young blokes.
“As long as the players are learning, and they don’t keep making the same mistakes. If they keep doing the right things it will turn around for them.”
Manly lost the game just after halftime after conceding three tries in five minutes.
An 8-6 lead quickly became a 22-8 deficit.
“Look, we probably shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position, again. There was a period there in the second half where we let in back-to-back tries,” Barrett said.
“We had three disallowed ties and probably bombed four in the first half. When things are going against you, you don’t get those calls and we didn’t.”