Edwards, Crichton lead Panthers to comeback win; Manly star's ...
Stephen Crichton and Dylan Edwards led the Panthers to a 24-12 come-from-behind win, with a kicking duel brain fade from Manly fullback Reuben Garrick turning the game on its head at 4 Pines Park.
The game was on a knife’s edge at 12-12, before Garrick produced a mind blowing kick on the first tackle that allowed the Panthers to score a try to take the lead and they never looked back.
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“He thought it was the 80’s Reuben Garrick,” Michael Ennis said.
“I think that is the last we will see of the kicking duel for another three decades,” Warren Smith said.
Stephen Crichton intercepted a pass from Daly Cherry-Evans to race 70 metres and give the Panthers an early lead.
Toafofoa Sipley charged over from close range to level the scores and get Manly right back in the game.
Cherry-Evans produced a superb pass for Garrick to score as Manly took the lead.
Crichton crossed for his double after a controversial lead-up with Liam Martin appearing to knock-on.
Garrick had a brain fade kicking duel moment gifted the Panthers the lead.
Jake Trbojevic took out Jack Cogger without the ball with Nathan Cleary extending the Panthers lead to eight points.
Zac Hosking produced some slick hands to put Brian To’o over in the corner as the Panthers cemented their spot on top of the ladder, while Manly’s finals hopes are now hanging by a thread.
BIG HITS
GARRICK’S ALL-TIME BLUNDER
In the pantheon of nonsensical plays, Terry Lamb’s 1992 field goal with three minutes to go at Belmore Oval and his Bulldogs trailing Newcastle Knights 12-10 will take plenty of beating.
Yet Manly fullback Reuben Garrick had a crack on Thursday night at 4 Pines Park in his team’s 24-12 loss to Penrith Panthers.
With the teams locked at 12-all and Manly making a decent fist of a must-win fixture, Garrick took a Nathan Cleary kick on his 20 metre line and immediately launched a kick down town.
Speedster Jason Saab was the intended recipient but the Six Million Dollar Man Steve Austni could not have got there before Dylan Edwards and several of the Panthers back five.
It was a play not seen at Brookvale since Dale Shearer invited fellow fullbacks to kicking duels in the 1980s.
Regardless, Edwards was not playing that game. The Panthers fullback ran the ball back for 40 metres before Sunia Turuva ran for another 40 metres and scored under the posts.
SCHUSTER’S CLUSTER
Five minutes in Josh Schuster plucked a Nathan Cleary pass out of the crisp Brookvale night and hared off on a 50-metre burst. His chunky thighs were never taking him all the way and he thought about passing to Brad Parker before bunting a kick ahead that Brian To’o collected easily.
Manly, who remain two points out of the top-8, appeared to have a game plan: go down swinging. Yet it was a dud play on first tackle.
Manly continued to attack. Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega made good metres left before the ball swung the other way with Daly Cherry-Evans throwing a Harbour Bridge pass that didn’t clear Stephen Crichton, the rangy centre in hot pink headgear bolting 70 metres to score.
SURPRISES, SURPRISES
When Liam Martin drove Schuster back in a driving tackle the five-eighth’s head thumped on the ground and the ball bobbled free. Schuster appeared groggy but did not go off for a HIA.
It was almost as surprising as Toafofoa Sipley rumbling through soft Panthers defence for his first try of the season.
The hits kept coming: Crichton was penalised for receiving the ball after being in front of the play-the-ball before Garrick crashed over and kicked the goal to give the Sea Eagles a 12-6 lead.
FANS OUTRAGED
Manly fans in the crowd of 10,102 were incensed when back-to-back six-again calls from possible Panthers knock-ons and a flat Scott Sorensen pass put Crichton over for his second.
Cleary then nailed the sideline conversion, Cherry-Evans tried a short kick-off with his left boot that gifted Cleary field position for a field goal (that he missed) before match officials took a period to work out what should happen after Garrick’s 22m drop-out went into touch.
The answer? Halftime. And into the sheds the teams went locked up 12-all.
HEAD BANGERS
Dean Matterson was put on report for a high shot on Martin that sparked a minor melee. In the same tackle Ben Trbojevic copped a stray knee in the head from teammate Aaron Woods.
Within minutes Parker’s head slammed into the turf and he also exited the field for a HIA.
Neither man returned, with 18th man Jake Arthur activated.
Jake Trbojevic’s lifting tackle saw him put on report before Cleary kicked his team eight points clear.
Garrick’s eight points took him to 956 and within three of overhauling Ron Willey as Manly’s fifth all-time points scorer.
MATCH PREVIEW
The Penrith Panthers will be without spine stars Jarome Luai and Mitch Kenny for their clash with the Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park.
The Sea Eagles are 1-17. Lindsay Smith start at prop for the Panthers with Moses Leota on the bench.
Jack Cogger replaces Luai in the halves, while Luke Sommerton comes in for Kenny at dummyhalf for his NRL debut.
Izack Tago remains sidelined with a leg injury, with Zac Hosking again partnering Stephen Crichton in the centres.
Once again, Moses Leota will come off the bench with Lindsay Smith to start in a late switch for the away side.
For Manly Sean Keppie has overcome a back spasm to replace Matt Lodge in the front row after he was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury.
Ben Trbojevic comes into the starting side, with Kelma Tuilagi shifting to the bench.
The Panthers can lock up a top two finish and edge closer to the minor premiership with a win, while the 11th placed Sea Eagles must win to stay in the hunt for the finals.
TEAMS
Sea Eagles team: 1. Reuben Garrick 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Tolutau Koula 5. Ray Tuaimalo-Vaega 6. Josh Schuster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Toafofoa Sipley 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Sean Keppie 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Dean Matterson 15. Aaron Woods 16. Kelma Tuilagi 17. Ethan Bullemor 18th man: 18. Jakob Arthur
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Zac Hosking 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 18. Jack Cogger 7. Nathan Cleary 15. Lindsay Smith 26. Luke Sommerton 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 8. Moses Leota 14. Soni Luke 16. Matt Eisenhuth 17. Jaeman Salmon. 18th man: 22. Liam Henry
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