Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have let slip a 20 point lead in the first half to go down 26-24 to a fast finishing Canberra Raiders at 4 Pines Park tonight in round nine of the Telstra Premiership.
On a wet evening in front of a crowd of 10, 215, the Sea Eagles led 20-0 after 28 minutes and 20-6 at half-time before the Raiders dug deep in the second half to set up a nervous final 10 minutes.
The loss keeps Manly in fourth spot, just one point behind the top three teams subject to weekend results.
A superb well-timed short ball from five-eighth Luke Brooks saw full-back Tom Trbojevic stroll over for a 6-0 lead after 11 minutes after the Sea Eagles missed an opportunity earlier through Reuben Garrick.
A loose pass from the Raiders saw Manly jump to a 10-0 lead through an easy 60 metre try to winger Tommy Talau after 16 minutes before Cherry-Evans swooped on his own grubber kick to score for a 14-0 lead.
Manly swooped to a 20-0 lead after 28 minutes through a converted Garrick try after Canberra full-back Albert Hopoate was sin-binned for a professional foul four minutes earlier.
Another former Manly player in Kaeo Weekes then converted his own try after scoring off an Elliot Whitehead flick pass from an intercept for a 20-6 scoreline at half-time.
Some slick passing along the backline saw Garrick slice through a gap to make it 24-6 after 49 minutes before Whitehead charged over out wide for a 24-12 scoreline in the next set after prop Matthew Lodge dropped the ball from the re-start.
Whitehead grabbed his second converted try in five minutes to leave the Raiders trailing 24-18 after 60 minutes.
The Raiders were in again 10 minutes later through a freakish try to winger Nick Cotric after he tippy toed down the sideline off a kick to cross for a 24-22 scoreline.
The Sea Eagles then had a try denied to winger Jason Saab for a knock-on off a kick with eight minutes remaining.
Canberra then hit the lead when five-eighth Ethan Strange put a grubber through for second-rower Hudson Young to score for a 26-24 lead with four minutes remaining.
Cherry-Evans attempted a 40 metre two point field goal in the dying seconds to level but missed.
