Sea Eagles destroy Dolphins as Wayne's season sits on brink of ...
The Sea Eagles have destroyed the Dolphins 58-18 and handed the expansion club their heaviest defeat as Wayne Bennett’s season sits on the brink of collapse.
Manly torched the Dolphins with four unanswered tries in the opening 15 minutes and that was just the beginning as four players scored doubles on Friday night.
Reuben Garrick scored a hat-trick and booted nine goals to finish with a remarkable 30 points to his name at Brookvale Oval.
The Dolphins have lost Brenko Lee (ankle) and Jeremy Marshall-King (shoulder) to injury.
MATCH CENTRE: Sea Eagles vs Dolphins live score, stats, video
Manly crossed for the opening try when Daly Cherry-Evans threw a bullet cut-out pass for Garrick who put Jason Saab over in the corner in the fourth minute.
The Sea Eagles crossed again moments later when Garrick dummied and sliced open the defence in the eighth minute.
Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic then scored the softest of tries when he threw a dummy and raced 40 metres.
“This is too easy, Manly slicing and dicing the Dolphins,” Andrew Voss said.
Hooker Lachlan Croker made it four tries in just 15 minutes when he crashed over for another extremely soft try.
“How slow are they moving, the Dolphins. If you’re a Dolphins fan, look away from the replay,” Voss said.
The Dolphins finally got on the board when Kodi Nikorima threw a beautiful cut-out ball to Jamayne Isaako who scored in the 23rd minute.
“Nikorima has been terrific at five-eighth this season, that’s his eighth try assist,” Alexander said.
Garrick crossed again in the 31st minute when Croker put a great grubber through from 22 metres out which caught Dolphins fullback Tesi Niu napping.
“Tesi Niu has knocked off and gone home early,” Voss said.
“The ball was in Croker’s hand for a microsecond before he dropped it onto his foot, what a kick,” Alexander said.
Manly picked up where they left off in the second when Cherry-Evans chipped from inside his half for Garrick who regathered and set up Trbojevic to score his second in the 45th minute.
“They’ve gone 75 metres to score an incredible team try,” Alexander said.
The Sea Eagles scored off the boot again in the 50th minute when Josh Schuster chipped for Tolutau Koula to race through and regather.
“Where were the wingers? Great try again and another off a kick,” Alexander said.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow showed his blister speed to burn two players and score in the 58th minute.
Speedsters Koula and Saab bagged their double in the final 15 minutes by showing off their express pace.
Garrick found the energy to make a try-saver on Niu before scoring his hat-trick at the death after brushing through some woeful defence.
“When they watch the video back there’s going to be some embarrassing moments for the Dolphins and that one is going to be right up there,” Alexander said.
“Nobody wanted anything to do with tackling Garrick, that one will bitterly disappointed the coach.”
Voss added: “Having called the Dolphins last two games, they’ve hit the wall for mine.”
Dolphins rookie centre Valynce Te Whare started the game lock in a shock move from coach Wayne Bennett.
Here are three of the biggest talking points out of the match.
TURBO-CHARGED SEA EAGLES
Tom Trbojevic was controversially allowed to play despite copping a head knock in the Origin opener but he showed no signs of it in a blistering performance.
Trbojevic needed a blinder just to be picked for the Blues two weeks ago and he produced it, but what he delivered against the Dolphins was even better.
The superstar fullback finished with two tries, five tackle busts, two linebreak assists, a try assist and 191 run metres from 15 carries.
“Great signs for the Sea Eagles and New South Wales, in the way that Tommy has gone about his business,” Corey Parker said on Fox League.
“He looks like he’s playing a style of football that we have seen Tommy play for so long. He’s around the ball, he’s buzzing, he’s on the front foot, he’s over the advantage line, he’s asking questions, he’s setting up tries.
“He had that twinkle in his eye tonight. His ability and appetite to get in and around the ball, take the ones off the ruck, beat some tackles, pop up when he was needed. He was terrific.”
DOLPHINS DECIMATED
The Dolphins were widely tipped to struggle in their first season and after stunning start, they’ve come crashing back down to earth.
They’ve lost three of their past four games and conceded 88 points in their past two games.
Friday night was the second-worst defeat of Wayne Bennett’s first-grade career, which dates back to 1987.
It was the Dolphins’ first game in Sydney, they had important players on the sideline and Manly was coming off a bye.
Yet not even the alchemy of super coach Bennett could save the visitors from an old-fashioned slaughter in front of 14,598 fans.
They missed 31 tackles and were beaten by Manly in nearly all statistics.
“The Sea Eagles are pulling apart every piece of their defensive line,” Parker said at halftime.
“Manly’s spine are in sync, they are carving up the middle third of the Dolphins and the outside edges are just tearing them apart,” Cooper Cronk responded.
The Dolphins lost Brenko Lee with a right ankle injury in the first half and Jeremy Marshall-King to a shoulder injury in the second half.
The pair join a Dolphins injury list which includes Sean O’Sullivan, Anthony Milford, Jarrod Wallace and Tom Gilbert.
GARRICK’S NIGHT AS ORIGIN STARS SHINE
It was the most points Manly have scored at Brookvale in 30 years as Rueben Garrick finished with a haul of 30.
Garrick was playing in the centres for just the third time in his 104-game NRL career and scored a hat-trick, ran for 115 metres from 11 carries that produced three tackle busts.
He also had an offload, linebreak, try assist, and linebreak to his name.
Queensland and Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans was at his devastating best against the Dolphins.
The 34-year-old finished with four try assists and three linebreak assists in the 10-try romp.
A left-to-right torpedo pass by Cherry-Evans gifted Garrick time to set Saab free for the game’s first try.
Minutes later Cherry-Evans darted up the middle on the fifth tackle and found Trbojevic who found Croker who ripped off a miracle grubber for Garrick to score his second.
In his last chance to impress Brad Fittler before the Blues coach names his side on Monday, Haumole Olakau’atu ran for 122 metres with 57m post-contact and setup one try.
Re-live the action live in our blog below. If you can’t see it, click here.
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