1. Scott Schulte
2. Bureta Faraimo
3. Vai Toutai
4. John Folau
5. Honeti Tuha
6. Mitch Cornish
7. Luke Kelly
8. Rory O’Brien
9. (14) Cameron King
10. Kelepi Tanginoa
11. Cody Nelson (c)
12. (20) Daniel Alvaro
13. David Gower
14. (12) Matt Woods
15. Andrew Pearn
16. Nick Kassis
17. Blake Cook

A couple of changes for Wenty today. Isaac De Gois is a late withdrawal, presumably with the injury cloud hanging over first choice rake Nathan Peats. Cameron King slots right into the starting role in his place. With Blake Cook already on the bench, coach Joey Grima has no need to bring an interchange utility onto the bench and instead has the luxury of bringing Daniel Alvaro into the team after Danny dropped off the extended bench for NRL from last night. Curiously Alvaro has been named in the backrow but with Kelepi Tanginoa named in the starting front-row I expect them to swap positions come kickoff. Matt Woods pushes back onto the bench to make way for the Polar Bear. Kieran Moss is still riding the spectator’s pine this week which means Wenty field an unchanged backline.

 

Wenty will be kicking off in the first half as they run towards the cricket field.

 

Lavaka fields the ball for Manly and charges up for the first run of the game. Santini and Lussick go next before Manly go down their right edge on the last two tackles. Schulte is well positioned for a shonky fifth tackle kick but he happily lets it roll into touch.

 

Tanginoa gets the first carry for Wenty and Kelly then goes down the right with Nelson. The Magpies earn the first penalty of the game on the third tackle when the Manly line is pinged for failing to get back the 10m. Alvaro is used first from the tap restart. Gower has a bustling carry on the second tackle and nets a second penalty for the home team

 

Rory O’Brien carts it up now and Wenty do down their right to Vai on the second tackle. Gower generates some second phase play on the third tackle but the Sea-Eagles defend it well. Wenty look to play the ball down the left-edge short side on the fourth but the ref finds an error as Folau flicks an offload way in contact.

 

Good defensive set from the Magpies now as the visitors have to hoof it deep on the last. Schulte eats the kick up with a running start and gets a healthy return on the back of it. Tuha  and Alvaro have solid runs before Gower and O’Brien link up through the middle. The carry from O’Brien yields the third penalty of the game and Wenty will take a crack at the two points.

 

Penalty conversion attempt by Cornish is unsuccessful.

20m drop out

 

Alvaro gets the hand off from Kelly on the first tackle. Schulte takes a hit up one off Kelly on the second and Tanginoa comes up with an error on the third tackle for the Magpies.

 

Plenty of ruckwork for Manly first up through this set before they attack our left edge where they are driven into touch. Good, disciplined defence there from Folau and Tuha.

 

Nothing too fancy for Wenty in reply now as they work it out near halfway and Cornish rifles off a solid kick. Cornish does one better on the kick chase and positively belts Ben Fritz. Great shot! The Magpies lift the tempo in defence this set and force an error from Manly to go on the attack.

 

King is lively from dummy half to get Wenty right onto the goal line and Cornish looks to hit Tuha with the cross field bomb but Goodall outleaps the Wenty flanker for an excellent take.

 

Manly just looking to get to their kick at the moment. Fariamo and Toutai give Wenty a good start to the set and take us right into Manlys half. Nelson and Alvaro put us closer to the red zone where Cornish and Kelepi come together. A nice angled run and short ball from Cornish and a rampaging run from Kelepi put the bullish backrower into the backfield. Kelepi half stumbles as he gets to Fritz but looks to still have powered over him to score. Wait no! Somehow Kelepi is short. I thought he was over for all money. Wenty will have one more tackle as time is blown off for the defender that Tanginoa trampled over earlier.

 

Tim Moeltzen was the one Kelepi left footmarks on and he has come off. Made of paper machete is that bloke. Kelly swings right on the last tackle and puts in an interesting banana kick to Faraimo. Bureta comes away with the ball and offloads to Toutai on the outside sweep but Vai is barely bundled into touch with the goal line in reach.

 

Manly finally get an attacking opportunity as Scott Schulte coughs up a regulation bomb defusal and Manly clean it up. The visitors are just as quick to let us off the hook though when they lose the ball a tackle later.

 

Wenty get through that resultant set with Cornish notching up the completion by bombing Fritz who takes the ball well. He is met and punished by Cody Nelson on the kick chase though, textbook driving tackle there.

 

Manly mimic Wenty now, just getting to their kick and putting the bomb up. Tuha is up to the challenge though. Tuha comes back for a useful carry a few tackles later as once more Wenty just get to their kick and bomb it. Lavaka the target this time as the torpedo bomb goes up. He takes it over his shoulder, cool as a cucumber.

 

Finally there is a break in the monotony of the action as Manly run it down their right late in the count and lose the ball over the sideline due to an errant pass.

 

Solid run from Tanginoa there. Kelly gets the ball on the next tackle and surprisingly shows great hands to pick a pass up off his laces and then give Toutai some early ball. Vai crashes into the line and two tackles later Kelly drills the ball into touch. Manly scrum on their 10m mark.

 

No easy metres for Manly this set as the Magpies aim up in defence. Nice little win in the arm wrestle for Wenty there. Cornish marshaling the left nicely now as he directs traffic down there and then puts in an astute kick that traps the Sea-Eagles on their 1m line. Lightning quick change of possession follows as the Magpies swoop on a loose pass. Pressure moutning now.

 

Wenty waste a few tackles testing the right-edge before centering the pill with Gower. Some magic happens on the following play when Kelly holds the ball up gorgeously with a double pump before hitting Danny Alvaro who came blitzing in on an unders line. The Polar Bear storms past a couple of defenders and centres the ball for Cornish. great try!

 

Try scored by Alvaro. Conversion successful by Cornish

Wenty lead 6-0

27min gone

 

Schulte fields the kickoff on the bounce and carts it up himself. O’Brien and Alvaro follow while Gower makes an incisive carry in behind the ruck on the fourth. Nelson brings up the last before Cornish heaves it up high on the last. A gust of breeze shoots in out of nowhere to catch the bomb and carry it into the in-goals for a 20m restart. Bit unlucky there.

 

Manly roll downfield with the seven tackle set but their attacking kick on the last can only be batted back by Lavaka before Kelly grabs the bouncing ball. The Magpies just ruck it out for big metres before Kelly tries to get the ball to pull up in goals on that last. He gets an unfavourable bounce at the last so we will come back for a 20m restart.

 

Again Manly made solid in-roads due to the additional tackle up their sleeve but a poor forward pass on their fifth tackle gifts Wenty a reprieve.

 

Not happening for Wenty on the following set though. They run it on the last with Toutai and he looks to get a grubber in behind but it is too heavy off the boot and lands out of the full. The loss of territory isn’t too punishing mind you.

 

Manly get to an attacking bomb on the last but good hands and some got feet from Tuha see him get the ball away from our goal line. Good work. The Magpies are very much in the grind at the moment as the ruck the ball up the half way. Cornish sees a chance to reset the game as he drills the ball into touch 10m out from half way.

 

Finally Manly get a bit more adventurous in this set as Mateo looks to spark some second phase play. The Wenty defensive line push up and show great commitment though to prevent any breaching of the line. The fifth tackle kick is once more defused by Tuha who has been really solid today. A penalty comes to Wenty for a high shot so they will get good position in the next set.

 

The penalty proves to be the tonic as we attack down our left. Kelepi stands tall through the initial contact and gets a pass away over his left shoulder to John Folau and dives between a couple of defenders to score. Good to see Wenty break the stalemate.

 

Try scored by Folau. Conversion successful by Cornish

Wenty lead 12-0

39min gone

 

Sneaky short kick off from Manly! That was the Sandow-esque dab straight down the middle. They recover the ball and go right onto the attack but a resolute Wenty hold them out until another stray pass from the Sea-Eagles sails into touch down our left-edge.

 

Half Time

Wentworthville Magpies 12 lead Manly Sea-Eagles 0

 

Second Half

 

Kassis trundles into the line to start the second half. Tanginoa and Woods follow. Gower hits and spins on the fourth before handing the ball off to Kassis. Cornish is the kicking option on the last and hoofs it into the Manly redzone but Fritz takes it well. Manly look better in their first set of the half as the dart out of dummy half a fair bit to put Wenty on the backfoot. Tom Symonds rubbers on the last but Schulte is there first to secure possession.

 

Wenty play it safe in their second possession of the game as the wok it out and then look to Cornish for the kick. He finds the grass in the Manly red zone. Solid kick. Manly make the first mistake of the second half as they come over half way. Big chance for Wenty.

 

Kelepi takes the run off the scrum win. Audible ‘oof’ as he heads into contact! Loving what we are seeing from him thus far in 2016. Manly push up hard early in the tackle count and Kelly shows good vision as he kicks in behind for Faraimo early. Bureta pulls the ball in on the full and then carries a defender or two over the line to score in the corner. Lovely little play there.

 

Try scored by Faraimo. Conversion unsuccessful by Cornish

Wenty lead 16-0

47min gone

 

Ah damn, just as I praise him Kelepi comes up with an error. Steamed into the defensive line from the kick off and copped a shoulder under the ball. Good defensive shot there.

 

Good form in defence from Wenty early in this set. Playing man-to-man well on the edges. Manly go to their left first and are rebuffed then swing to their right where Fabian Goodall is bundled into touch by Folau and Tuha. The hustle in defence isn’t just limited to first grade it would seem!

 

Kassis and Gower ruck it up strongly for the Magpies before Pearn takes it past halfway on the last. Kelly runs it down the right on the last. He finds Woods who uses Toutai. Vai beats the first defender and flicks the ball back, catching a Manly hand for a six again call. We gain no advantage from the play as Faraimo is pushed into touch and will come back for a scrum.

 

Wenty play it down their left for the first few tackles of the next set. We come back to the posts late in the count where we are held up via Cody Nelson and on the last we take it left. Cornish wants Kelepi on the over line and Tanginoa smashes the first defender and tries to offload to Schulte on the wrap around. The offload misses its man but Tuha scoops it up and on the inside slant he manages to isolate a defender and burst into open space near the line! Tuha has gone in on the back of his own work there. Deserved reward after plenty of tough work today.

 

Try scored by Tuha. Conversion successful by Cornish.

Wenty lead 22-0

54min gone

 

Nelson loses it backwards from the kickoff but recovers the pill and gets back into the field of play. Kelepi and Kassis do the tough stuff early on as Gower plays out the back to Kelly on the right as Wenty look to spread their arms. The ball comes to Toutai who creates a half chance but his ball to Faraimo ends up in the hands of the Sea-Eagles. Fortunately the visitors make an unforced error in return as the ref pings them for a forward pass.

 

Good carry from Folau from the scrum win. Tuha and Kassis come next as Wenty crack halfway. Poor pass from Gower on the fourth there. Put Pearn under all sorts of pressure with the defence jamming in on him. Manly ball.

 

The Sea-Eagles get onto our goal line through a nice bacline move down our right. We stop them short but play comes back for a penalty. Looks like Faraimo is on report for something. Honestly missed the infraction though.

 

Big chance for Manly to trouble the scorers here. No such luck early as Wenty show great line speed and punish Manly’s lateral shifts. The Sea-Eagles remain composed on the last though and earn a repeat set on the back of a tidy grubber.

 

Bit scrappy from Manly as they look to push a left-edge shift. The ball falls out the back and becomes a foot race between Faraimo and Lavaka to jump on it but Faraimo is correctly done  pushing Lavaka in the back. It amounts to nothing though when on the next tackle a great shot jolts the ball free and Wenty get the ball back.

 

We fail to complete our set in reply though but at least by rucked the ball out past halfway before turning it over. Maybe a tough call there as well. O’Brien fielded the offload from Toutai and juggled it a bit in contact but didn’t look to let the pill touch a defender. Not the worst 50/50 to lose though.

 

Good cover tackle from Alvaro there before Folau FLATTENS Symonds. Symonds had lost the ball backwards and Folau has deadset murdered him and then gone on to jump on the ball. The 2016 Folau is growing on me rapidly. Alas, Wenty the lose the ball a few tackles later as the errors begin to creep in.

 

Regardless of the errors the defensive intensity is still there as they force an error from a barge over attempt under the sticks. Just over fifteen minutes to play now as Wenty pack for the scrum on their 10m line.

 

Folau involved again as he takes the run from the scrum. O’Brien gets jammed up by some willing defenders who showed good line speed but Kelepi and Alvaro undo the damage with some great runs. Gower offloads to Blake Cook to take us past halfway and Cornish gets to a kick for the first time in ages but it is brilliantly taken by Goodall.

 

Not much doing for Manly and they somehow get to a kick on their last after first thinking about running it. Faraimo cleans it up and runs into the defensive line. Tuha has another competitive carry as he drags defenders with him but Toutai cops a physical blow on halfway that knocks the ball free.

 

Manly pick up a penalty as the ruck is too slow for the ref’s liking. Is that their first of the game? They get prime position now but Wenty’s in-your-face defensive line forces another error as the Sea-Eagles look to play flat.

 

Alvaro up first from the scrum win. Gower and Folau get involved before O’Brien surges through the defenders for a healthy 15m gain. Cornish settles the pace of the game as he drills it into touch 30m out from Manly’s line.

 

What a shot from Kelepi! Has belted the ball free now. The ‘thwack’ of the shot brings the crowd to life as well. Time if off now although I am not sure for the reason. Oh it was for a penalty. Sorry about that.

 

We point to the sticks, opting to secure the full 4-score lead.

 

Penalty conversion attempt successful by Cornish.

Wenty lead 24-0

74min gone

 

Another powerful charge from O’Brien who has been immense as the game has worn on. Kassis wears a high shot to no call but on the next tackle Cody Nelson slices through the line from 40m out. Does it all himself mind you and then he shows the toes to beat Fritz to the goal line! Tremendous individual effort from the captain.

 

Try scored by Nelson. Conversion unsuccessful by Cornish.

Wenty lead 28-0

76min gone

 

Alvaro has plenty left in the tank as he bustles into the line. Kassis has the next run and gets an offload away to Alvaro who churns a few more metres up. O’Brien carts it up and then offloads to Kassis as the big men get plenty of touches in this set! O’Brien brings up the last with one ore run and Cornish looks to ice the game by finding touch but some quick hands by Goodall see him trap the ball safely.

 

Manly pick up a late penalty and will get one last chance to get on the board but yet another poor pass is jumped upon by Wenty! 80 minutes of hustle today. Mateo is pinged for a loose arm on Schulte so all of a sudden the position between the two teams swings around 180. Woods and then Schulte get the first touches with Schulte flinging the ball out the back to Tuha. A couple of tackles later Tuha is involved once more as the siren rings out and he kicks it in behind – or attempts to. The ball gets trapped in the line and Kassis knocks on trying to retrieve it so that will be all today.

 

Full Time

Wentworthville Mapgies 28 DEF Manly Sea-Eagles 0