Manly Leagues let slip a strong first half lead to go down 36-28 to the Glebe Dirty Reds today in round 13 of the Sydney Shield competition.
Playing a rare home match at 4 Pines Park, the sixth-placed Sea Eagles came out of the blocks flying to race to a dominant 18 point lead before the Dirty Reds capitalised on some luck to take their chances to trail by four at half-time.
The Sea Eagles opened the scoring in the third minute when hooker Thomas Thelander crossed under the posts for a 6-0 lead.
Glebe hit back through an intercept 80 metre try to hooker Iobe Taukeisalili for a 6-all scoreline after 10 minutes.
Manly took a 12-6 lead through a converted try out wide to winger Jaydan Wharerau Minovski after 17 minutes.
Second-rower Jake Watmough used his strength to charge over next to the posts for a converted try for an 18-6 lead after 23 minutes.
A lovely, short ball from half-back Leroy Murray put huge prop Nash Hillier into a gaping hole to score out wide for a 24-6 lead with 14 minutes of the first half remaining.
The Dirty Reds hit back a minute later through winger Emery Jolliffe after a mistake from Manly Leagues centre Jerome Van Der Heide from the restart for a 24-10 scoreline.
Glebe made it back-to-back tries in two minutes when Taukeisalili was on the spot to capitalise on a knock down pass to score near the posts to make it 24-16 with nine minutes remaining.
Manly Leagues had their lead reduced to four just four minutes from half-time when Daniel Cutrupi caught them napping out wide for a 24-20 scoreline.
Glebe got off to a flying start to the second half with two tries in seven minutes through Byron Strickland and Jacob Tautaiolefua to take a 30-24 lead after 50 minutes.
It got worse for the Sea Eagles when centre Temesia Jilivecevece crossed out wide for a 36-24 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
Prolific tryscoring and goal-kicking winger Lachlan Burt then reduced the margin with a nice try out wide four minutes later to leave Manly Leagues trailing 36-28.
The Dirty Reds held on in the final minutes to take victory to join Manly Leagues on 12 points.
Manly Leagues play Wentworthville Magpies at Ringrose Park on Sunday, July 7, at 1pm.
