Manly miss DCE in shock loss to Eels
In a game devoid of both teams' first-choice halfbacks due to State of Origin, it was Manly who missed their playmaker more at CommBank Stadium.
Eels debutant Joash Papalii scored a try and set up another, while Parramatta's forwards dominated Manly's middles in the win.
Even with their top players on the park Manly are a side of wild extremes, able to beat the NRL's best teams one week before failing to go with cellar-dwellers the next.
But in the Sea Eagles' first game without Cherry-Evans since he announced he was leaving the club at season's end, his absence was clearly felt.
Iongi zips through💥 #NRLEelsManly pic.twitter.com/GFwLhxXoJI
— NRL (@NRL) May 23, 2025
With Luke Brooks and Jake Arthur in the halves Manly's attack lacked any real flow or strike, with Cherry-Evans' usual dangerous right edge falling silent.
Overlooked NSW star Tom Trbojevic had a hand in two Lehi Hopoate tries down the left edge in the first half, but that constituted all of Manly's scoring as they slipped to ninth on the ladder.
Manly barely looked like throwing a punch in the second half, with their best chance coming when Hopoate was pushed out before grounding a ball in the corner.
The Sea Eagles have signed Canberra's Jamal Fogarty for next season on a three-year deal worth close to $2.1 million.
But it was clear on Friday night that for now they still need the club's most-capped halfback, after the contract drama that has overshadowed the first half of their year.
Parramatta, in contrast, still played with great flow without their halfback Mitch Moses.
Stand-in halfback Dean Hawkins did an admirable job, putting Jack Williams over for one try when he set up to go deep and instead went short to the forward.
Papalii had a debut to dream of, throwing the last pass for a Jordan Samrani pass after coming on for a concussed Will Penisini early.
Samrani casually scoring a try behind his head 🤯 #NRLEelsManly pic.twitter.com/9DCXQPLSdl
— NRL (@NRL) May 23, 2025
The 20-year-old Papalii then scored in the corner on the next set after a Dylan Walker break as the Eels went from 4-0 down to 10-4 up in the blink of an eye.
Isaiah Iongi also looked good again at fullback, and put the Eels 12 points up after halftime when he dummied and slid past Luke Brooks to score.
J'maine Hopgood also bagged a try for Parramatta in a win that took them off the bottom of the table and set them up to finish the weekend above the loser of Penrith and Newcastle.
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