Sea Eagles winger Reuben Garrick breaks all-time record in 17-year first

Sea Eagles winger Reuben Garrick has broken the all-time record for most points by a player in an NRL regular season.

Manly's Reuben Garrick celebrates after scoring his third try during the Manly v Parramatta NRL match at Lottoland, Brookvale. Picture: Brett Costello

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles winger Reuben Garrick has broken the all-time record for most points by a player in the an NRL regular season.

Garrick needed to score at least three points during Saturday evening’s clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville to better the record of 288, set by Bulldogs great Hazem El Masri in 2004.

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The 24-year-old slotted a conversion attempt in the 16th minute of the Round 25 contest to put himself one point behind El Mazri.

And Garrick finished the job just before the halftime interval, booting another conversion kick to reach 290 for the season.

He then scored a try late in the second half to push his tally up to 298, and soon after became the first player to reach 300 points in an NRL regular season with a conversion kick in the 74th minute.

Garrick has now become the new record holder for most points in a season, breaking Hazem El Masri’s record for most points in a regular season of 288 set in 2004

Congratulations Reuben! #NRLCowboysManly#ManlyForeverpic.twitter.com/HA6PsPPYTy

— Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (@SeaEagles) September 4, 2021

“That is some achievement,” Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said.

“He’s just an absolute champion off the field as well, credit to himself.”

Incredibly, some Manly fans were calling for Garrick to be axed earlier this season following a handful of underwhelming performances.

“I‘ve tried to keep out of (the points-scoring record talk) as much as I can,” Garrick said earlier this week.

“I just play footy for a bit of fun and do my best job for my mates. That‘s what I’m about.

“If those sort of records come if it‘s off the back of a lot of hard work and my mates inside me.”

Reuben Garrick has rewritten the record books. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

Fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow got the Cowboys off a flyer at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, fending off Manly winger Jason Saab to score in the third minute.

But the visitors quickly returned serve, with Saab lunging into the air and scoring near the posts in the 15th minute.

Manly finally stamped their authority over the match just before halftime, with both Trbojevic brothers scoring within two minutes of each other.

The Sea Eagles, who require nothing less than victory to cement their place in the top four on the NRL ladder, led 18-6 at halftime.

Cowboys prop Jordan McLean reduced the deficit early in the second half, scoring just the eighth try of his NRL career.

But a magical piece of work from Manly back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu gifted Jake Trbojevic his second try of the match.

The Sea Eagles ultimately secured a 46-18 victory after a chaotic final 10 minutes to end their regular season on a high, with Tom Trbojevic scoring a classy hat-trick.

Manly will face reigning champions the Melbourne Storm in week one of the finals next weekend.