Hot-and-cold Manly in slump as Sharks hold strong

The Advertiser

11-05-2025

Manly's hot-and-cold NRL season has left them at risk of a freefall, slumping to their forth loss in five games after a lacklustre 30-14 defeat to Cronulla.
Second on the ladder after the opening four rounds, Manly now have a losing record after again showing themselves to be among the NRL's least consistent sides.
The Sea Eagles threw away a chance to add to the list of NRL comebacks on Sunday, going from 14-0 down to level at 14-14 before the 16-point defeat.
The result kept Cronulla fifth, with Nicho Hynes and Briton Nikora impressing down the right edge, and Blayke Brailey having some nice moments.
But while Manly finished the round in eighth spot, they look a long away from the team that set the competition alight over the opening month.
They have now lost three games in a row at home for the first time since 2022, and hold a 4-5 record despite playing six of their opening nine games at Brookvale.
Sunday's match in some ways summed up their season so far, with the Sea Eagles' slump having coincided with Daly Cherry-Evans' announcement he is leaving at year's end
When Manly's attack is on like it was early in the second half when Tolu Koula produced a double, they are among the most dangerous teams in the NRL.
But when it is off like when they completed at just 61 per cent, they can be beaten by anyone.
"I'm a really firm believer your defence and attack are very much linked," Cherry-Evans said.
"When you're putting yourself under pressure through defence, it can lead to some really poor attack because you start to chase the game.
"That was the story of the first half. Our attack was a bit clunky and we had nine errors compounding it with ill-discipline.
"You don't want to be falling into a trap of hoping your attack saves your defence.
"But that 20 minutes after halftime was exactly the sort of football team I believe we can be, and have shown at times."
After Cronulla burst out of the blocks to claim a 14-0 halftime lead, the hosts were back in the game when Koula's double made it 14-12 with 26 minutes left.
Luke Brooks then broke into open space from the kick-off and had a chance to send Koula over for his third, only for the centre to spill the pass back inside to him.
And while the Sea Eagles got the score back to 14-14 via a penalty goal, more errors proved costly.
Haumole Olakau'atu attempted to push an offload in their first set in tight space, prompting an error from Reuben Garrick.
Garrick then cleaned up a Sharks grubber-kick at the end of their next set, but spilled the ball at the last second and handed an easy try to Braydon Trindall.
From there, the floodgates opened.
Ronaldo Mulitalo and KL Iro both scored late, with Mulitalo's try coming from some nice lead-up play from a kicking Billy Burns.
Earlier, Hynes had shown his return to form when he spotted Tom Trbojevic at marker and kicked for Mulitalo to score after a Nikora break.
The half was again involved in the Sharks' next, when Brailey skirted out of dummy-half and found the halfback, who put Addin Fonua-Blake over untouched.
"He's had a number of good performances now," coach Craig Fitzgibbon said of Hynes.
"He is running the ball, kicking well. I feel like he is organising the team well. He's in a good head space and not letting it get to him."
Manly's hot-and-cold NRL season has left them at risk of a freefall, slumping to their forth loss in five games after a lacklustre 30-14 defeat to Cronulla.
Second on the ladder after the opening four rounds, Manly now have a losing record after again showing themselves to be among the NRL's least consistent sides.
The Sea Eagles threw away a chance to add to the list of NRL comebacks on Sunday, going from 14-0 down to level at 14-14 before the 16-point defeat.
The result kept Cronulla fifth, with Nicho Hynes and Briton Nikora impressing down the right edge, and Blayke Brailey having some nice moments.
But while Manly finished the round in eighth spot, they look a long away from the team that set the competition alight over the opening month.
They have now lost three games in a row at home for the first time since 2022, and hold a 4-5 record despite playing six of their opening nine games at Brookvale.
Sunday's match in some ways summed up their season so far, with the Sea Eagles' slump having coincided with Daly Cherry-Evans' announcement he is leaving at year's end
When Manly's attack is on like it was early in the second half when Tolu Koula produced a double, they are among the most dangerous teams in the NRL.
But when it is off like when they completed at just 61 per cent, they can be beaten by anyone.
"I'm a really firm believer your defence and attack are very much linked," Cherry-Evans said.
"When you're putting yourself under pressure through defence, it can lead to some really poor attack because you start to chase the game.
"That was the story of the first half. Our attack was a bit clunky and we had nine errors compounding it with ill-discipline.
"You don't want to be falling into a trap of hoping your attack saves your defence.
"But that 20 minutes after halftime was exactly the sort of football team I believe we can be, and have shown at times."
After Cronulla burst out of the blocks to claim a 14-0 halftime lead, the hosts were back in the game when Koula's double made it 14-12 with 26 minutes left.
Luke Brooks then broke into open space from the kick-off and had a chance to send Koula over for his third, only for the centre to spill the pass back inside to him.
And while the Sea Eagles got the score back to 14-14 via a penalty goal, more errors proved costly.
Haumole Olakau'atu attempted to push an offload in their first set in tight space, prompting an error from Reuben Garrick.
Garrick then cleaned up a Sharks grubber-kick at the end of their next set, but spilled the ball at the last second and handed an easy try to Braydon Trindall.
From there, the floodgates opened.
Ronaldo Mulitalo and KL Iro both scored late, with Mulitalo's try coming from some nice lead-up play from a kicking Billy Burns.
Earlier, Hynes had shown his return to form when he spotted Tom Trbojevic at marker and kicked for Mulitalo to score after a Nikora break.
The half was again involved in the Sharks' next, when Brailey skirted out of dummy-half and found the halfback, who put Addin Fonua-Blake over untouched.
"He's had a number of good performances now," coach Craig Fitzgibbon said of Hynes.
"He is running the ball, kicking well. I feel like he is organising the team well. He's in a good head space and not letting it get to him."
Manly's hot-and-cold NRL season has left them at risk of a freefall, slumping to their forth loss in five games after a lacklustre 30-14 defeat to Cronulla.
Second on the ladder after the opening four rounds, Manly now have a losing record after again showing themselves to be among the NRL's least consistent sides.
The Sea Eagles threw away a chance to add to the list of NRL comebacks on Sunday, going from 14-0 down to level at 14-14 before the 16-point defeat.
The result kept Cronulla fifth, with Nicho Hynes and Briton Nikora impressing down the right edge, and Blayke Brailey having some nice moments.
But while Manly finished the round in eighth spot, they look a long away from the team that set the competition alight over the opening month.
They have now lost three games in a row at home for the first time since 2022, and hold a 4-5 record despite playing six of their opening nine games at Brookvale.
Sunday's match in some ways summed up their season so far, with the Sea Eagles' slump having coincided with Daly Cherry-Evans' announcement he is leaving at year's end
When Manly's attack is on like it was early in the second half when Tolu Koula produced a double, they are among the most dangerous teams in the NRL.
But when it is off like when they completed at just 61 per cent, they can be beaten by anyone.
"I'm a really firm believer your defence and attack are very much linked," Cherry-Evans said.
"When you're putting yourself under pressure through defence, it can lead to some really poor attack because you start to chase the game.
"That was the story of the first half. Our attack was a bit clunky and we had nine errors compounding it with ill-discipline.
"You don't want to be falling into a trap of hoping your attack saves your defence.
"But that 20 minutes after halftime was exactly the sort of football team I believe we can be, and have shown at times."
After Cronulla burst out of the blocks to claim a 14-0 halftime lead, the hosts were back in the game when Koula's double made it 14-12 with 26 minutes left.
Luke Brooks then broke into open space from the kick-off and had a chance to send Koula over for his third, only for the centre to spill the pass back inside to him.
And while the Sea Eagles got the score back to 14-14 via a penalty goal, more errors proved costly.
Haumole Olakau'atu attempted to push an offload in their first set in tight space, prompting an error from Reuben Garrick.
Garrick then cleaned up a Sharks grubber-kick at the end of their next set, but spilled the ball at the last second and handed an easy try to Braydon Trindall.
From there, the floodgates opened.
Ronaldo Mulitalo and KL Iro both scored late, with Mulitalo's try coming from some nice lead-up play from a kicking Billy Burns.
Earlier, Hynes had shown his return to form when he spotted Tom Trbojevic at marker and kicked for Mulitalo to score after a Nikora break.
The half was again involved in the Sharks' next, when Brailey skirted out of dummy-half and found the halfback, who put Addin Fonua-Blake over untouched.
"He's had a number of good performances now," coach Craig Fitzgibbon said of Hynes.
"He is running the ball, kicking well. I feel like he is organising the team well. He's in a good head space and not letting it get to him."