NRL Round 4: Penrith Panthers maul sorry Manly Sea Eagles
Manly’s first win of the season seems a mile away after being mauled by a ruthless Penrith. Here’s how the rout unfolded.
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“Yuck.”
That was the word used by an Immortal to describe a Manly outfit out of its depth on Thursday night.
With already 22 points piled against the Sea Eagles on the scoreboard in the first half, it looked like Des Hasler’s troops would have rather been anywhere than Brookvale Oval.
“Body language. Yuck,” rugby league legend Andrew Johns said.
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“You have to stay in the fight. If you make an error you have to be thinking about getting through the next four or five sets and build pressure.”
Penrith put on four quick tries in the first half, terrorising Manly’s right edge defence along the way.
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Fijian powerhouse Viliame Kikau made easy work of Manly halfback Daly Cherry Evans in defence time and time again.
“Cherry Evans is going to dream about Kikau tonight … not pleasant dreams,” Johns said.
Manly’s defence were often caught out numbered by Penrith’s slick attack.
“The right side of the Manly defence, of Cherry Evans and Morgan Boyle, don’t know what they’re doing,” Johns said.
“Penrith move the ball laterally and with an offload and they pulled the Manly defence apart.”
Much has already been said about Tom Trbojevic’s importance to the Sea Eagles — Manly have only won eight from 31 games when the fullback doesn’t play — and the Sea Eagles’ inability to score points without him.
But it is Trbojevic’s work in defence that is as crucial as his attacking prowess.
Manly conceded 38 points last week and leaked another 46 to the Panthers.
The best fullbacks in the NRL are key cogs in their sides defensive structures and defensive lines.
Not only did makeshift Manly fullback Dylan Walker miss four tackles, he and his edges were caught out in defence.
It was clear in Penrith’s first try.
Livewire Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai delivered a pinpoint tip on pass to Brian To’o as Penrith shifted left for the winger to score but Manly’s defence did not react.
On numerous occasions last night Manly’s defence did not react or match the numbers of attacking in the line with the number of defenders.
“The defence has to react, they have four attackers, you put four defenders,” Johns said
It’s the kind of marshalling of troops that the best fullbacks in the NRL spend endless hours perfecting.
No doubt, Trbojevic’s return into Hasler’s 17 will add another dimension in attack for the Sea Eagles, but the full-back’s inclusion should improve the side’s defensive structures.
But Manly’s problems extend beyond the 156 points conceded over the first month of football.
The Sea Eagles are also struggling to score points.
Even without Trbojevic, it doesn’t explain why a side with Daly Cherry Evans, Kieran Foran, Dylan Walker and Josh Schuster, when tackled 41 times in 80 minutes last night, could only manage a single try.
Trbojevic’s return will no doubt be a boost for the northern beaches club but what last night’s 46-6 loss highlighted, for another week, is that the gulf between the best and the worst sides in this season’s competition is real, and for outfits like Manly, it’s a gap that feels impossible to narrow.
“I can’t see Manly getting out of this whole, not in the near future, Johns said.
The big boys link up!#NRLManlyPanthers#TelstraPremiershippic.twitter.com/O50qoPNlNK
— NRL (@NRL) April 1, 2021
This is absolute carnage so far. Manly have been woeful and half the team is reserve grade standard. #NRLManlyPanthers
— Bowser (@bowenrob) April 1, 2021
If you are a tradie in the Manly area who fixes doors get yourself down to Brookvale within next 15 minutes. Guaranteed a couple will hanging from the hinges needing repair #hasler#NRLManlyPanthers
— David Packwood (@DavidPackwood) April 1, 2021
#NRLManlyPanthers Getting harder to watch now, this side is playing a very poor standard of Footy, yes Penrith are a good side, but the fans deserve a refund for watching this, have a go, have a little pride in the jumper you wear.
— Shane Moran (@scoolm8) April 1, 2021
PENRITH MATCH RECORD ON MANLY ROUT
Matt Encarnacion
Another week, another record for the flying Penrith Panthers.
A white-hot Penrith stretched their unbeaten opening to the season to four matches after wiping out a hapless Sea Eagles side 46-6 at Lottoland.
The victory was their 19th straight regular season win, equalling the premiership record set by South Sydney in 1924-26 and matched by the Sydney Roosters in 1975.
A week after starring with a matchwinning trysaver in their grand final rematch over Melbourne, star second-rower Viliame Kikau, again dominated with two tries.
But Kikau had plenty of help on his left edge Thursday night, with winger Brian To’o also bagging a double to go with a game-high 179 metres and whopping eight tackle breaks.
Five-eighth Jarome Luai set up four tries, while co-captain Nathan Cleary made a successful return from a week’s rest with another general play masterclass.
The seven-try feast was enough for eighth Immortal Andrew Johns to declare the league leaders the early-season frontrunners to lift the trophy.
“Penrith Panthers for me are the premiership favourites,” Johns said on Channel 9.
The signs were ominous from the Panthers’ first foray down their left edge through Kikau, resulting in Brian To’o claiming his first try in just the second minute.
The next 20 minutes was a procession, first through the middle with Moses Leota, and then again down Manly’s right side through Kikau and another to To’o.
A darting Cade Cust four-pointer just before the break gave the locals some hope, but the Panthers were rarely threatened thereafter as they kept the home side scoreless in the second half.
Cleary, who missed last week due to concussion, produced arguably the highlight of the match when he kicked twice in one play for Kurt Capewell to touch down for one of four second-half Penrith tries.
DUO JOIN CLIPPED SEA EAGLES
Compounding the pain for the Sea Eagles is a suspected dislocated shoulder for forward Morgan Boyle, and a back issue for centre Moses Suli.
The pair join a growing casualty ward that already includes Tom Trbojevic (hamstring), Curtis Sironen (knee), Jorge Taufua (achilles) and Andrew Davey (ACL).
The good news: Trbojevic could be back next week.
RED ZONED OFF
Manly have been struggling in a number of areas this season but none are more head-scratching than their conversion rate in the opposition 20-metre zone.
The Sea Eagles entered Thursday’s clash as the league leaders in plays inside the attacking red zone with 128 – three more than the entertainers from the foot of the mountains.
And Manly again had no problems getting looks at the tryline against the Panthers, holding a 26-9 advantage at halftime but were down four tries to one at the break.
It’s why some Sea Eagles fans have been calling for young playmaker Josh Schuster, currently playing out of position in the second row, to be given a shot in the halves.
REWINDS THE TAPE
Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny was bizarrely put on report midway through the second half for a crusher tackle on Reuben Garrick.
Upon advice by video referee Henry Perenara, referee Matt Cecchin went back almost an entire set to give the Sea Eagles a penalty for the illegal tackle.
Any suspension for Kenny could leave Ivan Cleary in a selection dilemma, with Api Koroisau at least another month away from returning from a broken wrist.
Originally published as NRL Round 4: Penrith Panthers maul sorry Manly Sea Eagles
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