Manly has carried its strong pre-season form into the NRL season proper, with a big first-up win over the Bulldogs at Brookvale Oval.
In the first match of the Anthony Seibold era, the Sea Eagles ran in five tries – including a career-first hat-trick to Daly Cherry-Evans – to win 31-6.
But the match was tarred with a tinge of controversy. After a tightly fought first half-hour, a Bunker decision to send Bulldogs fullback Kyle Flanagan to the sin bin proved a crucial turning point.
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In the shadow of half time, Reuben Garrick made a run down the left edge and was all but over the touch line when he put a grubber back in-field for Tom Trbojevic, who had Flanagan hot on his heels.
Trbojevic looked as if he had overrun the ball and failed to gather it, but referee Grant Atkins saw Flanagan’s hands in Trbojevic’s back and sent it upstairs for a possible penalty try.
While the penalty try wasn’t given, the professional foul was upheld and Flanagan was sent to the bin.
The decision left former Bulldog Michael Ennis incensed.
“It is hardly a touch from Flanagan; it is nothing more than laying a hand on him,” he said in commentary for Fox Sports.
“There is no push from Flanagan … a professional foul, that is ridiculous.
“That’s a tough call … an outrageous decision. Madness.”
With winger Jacob Kiraz also off the park for a HIA, it left the Bulldogs right side defence incredibly weak, and in the next set Reuben Garrick all but strolled over to put the Sea Eagles in front.
Then on the other side of halftime, and with Flanagan still watching from the sidelines, a wild pass from Viliame Kikau went to ground and was toed forward by the Manly skipper, who then won a hip-and-shoulder race with Josh Addo-Carr to score.
Bulldogs blasted over ‘ridiculous’ error
Post-game, Cameron Ciraldo said while he was surprised Flanagan was binned, he said it was the way his players reacted – or indeed didn’t – that was the difference in the match.
“I didn’t think he was going to go to the sin bin, but he did and we didn’t handle it well,” he said.
“It was disappointing, but we could’ve handled it better when he was off.”
It was a rough first game for the Belmore club, with Kikau in particular making numerous errors.
But one in particular had Ennis fired up
With the Bulldogs deep in their own territory, the ball was bizarrely passed to Kikau to kick them out of trouble, rather than Matt Burton.
Kikau proceeded to put it into touch on the full. In the following plays, Tom Trbojevic scored the opener for Manly on his long-awaited return from injury.
“That’s ridiculous from the Bulldogs; Matt Burton has the longest boot in the competition,” Ennis said.
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“They only made 23m in this set – this was his chance to stand up and drive it down the field and cop their medicine.
“Instead, it’s passed out to out to Viliame Kikau to get a kick away, and they turn it over 30m from their own line.
“They have to be better, the Bulldogs.”
Trbojevic said he’d had a “very nervous week” as he prepared for his first game in nine months.
“It’s been a long nine months since I last played … but it’s good to get back out here and a round one win – I haven’t had one in my career so it was nice to start the year well,” he told Fox Sports.
New signing Reed Mahoney was the Bulldogs’ only try scorer.
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