A sluggish Manly Warringah Sea Eagles suffered a 19-8 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys at 4 Pines Park tonight in round 20 of the Telstra Premiership.
In front of a crowd of 13,240, the Sea Eagles struggled at times to click into full gear to trail 13-4 at half-time.
And as hard as they tried to execute, the attack just didn't fire in a disappointing night for the home side.
Manly half-back Daly Cherry-Evans and lock Jake Trbojevic, along with seven Cowboys players, all backed up from Wednesday night's final Origin match.
The home match also saw the NRL debut of Dean Matterson, the younger brother of Parramatta Eels player Ryan Matterson, in a fine reward for his outstanding form for Blacktown Workers in the NSW Cup this season.
The Sea Eagles wore a commemorative Heritage jersey to acknowledge the club's early pioneers, with players from 1951-56 wearing the maroon and white jersey.
After being denied an early try for a push in the back, North Queensland were denied a second try when winger Semi Valemei put a foot on the sideline in trying to score.
Manly full-back Reuben Garrick was forced from the field in the 11th minute with a HIA, making way for Dean Matterson to make his debut.
With his family watching on, including Parramatta NRL player Ryan, the Sea Eagles crossed for their first try through Matterson after winger Jason Saab leapt high to snatch the ball to flick to Haumole Olakau’atu to send the utility over for a 4-0 lead after 15 minutes.
North Queensland replied with a try in the 25th minute through forward Reuben Cotter after a break down the middle of the field. Centre Valentine Holmes, who set up the try, converted from in front to give his side a 6-4 lead. Moments earlier, Matterson was given a standing ovation for his opening stint as he left the field for Garrick who later passed his HIA.
The Cowboys crossed for their second three minutes later through second-rower Jeremiah Nanai after five-eighth Tom Dearden broke through the line with a strong run. Holmes converted to extend the lead to 12-4.
North Queensland were surging downfield thanks to repeat sets, hoping to add additional points before the break. As the siren sounded, Cowboys halfback Chad Townsend kicked a 35-metre field goal to give his side a nine-point lead heading into half-time.
The Sea Eagles looked to have scored just three minutes into the second half, only for the decision to be overruled after Olakau’atu knocked the ball on into Holmes moments before Garrick grounded the ball.
Manly centre Brad Parker dived over for a well-deserved try in the 47th minute after five-eighth Josh Schuster ran hard at the line before throwing a perfectly timed pass to Parker, who spun out of a tackle for a 13-8 scoreline.
With their backs against the wall, the Cowboys quickly turned defence into attack and scored in the 54th minute through Scott Drinkwater. Holmes converted to push his side's lead out to 19-8.
The Sea Eagles were throwing everything they had at the away side but just couldn’t get the finishing touch on their plays, struggling to break through the defence on multiple occasions and forcing sloppy errors close to the tryline as the Cowboys held on.
The Sea Eagles play Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on Sunday July 23 at PointsBet Stadium. Kick-off 4.05pm.
