Manly put on a second half blitz at Brookvale to down Des Hasler’s Titans 38-8, as Tom Trbojevic and company race for a top five spot on the ladder.
The Sea Eagles were close to full strength for the first time in a long period, as their Origin stars returned to glory at clubland.
Luke Brooks. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Origin captains Jake Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans were all class in their back up performances, as Luke Brooks and Tom Trbojevic took control of an attack full of fireworks and flair.
Gold Coast threatened the home side early, but a lack of discipline and fitness from the interchange hampered them big time.
Beau Fermor and Keano Kini did their best to inspire a second half comeback, but it was all one-way traffic in the final 40.
The defence of the Titans’ backline was exposed time and time again, as simple spaced passes led to a flurry of Manly tries.
Burbo, Jurbo and Turbo
There’s something about brothers playing alongside one another. For the Trbojevic trio, Brookvale Oval has become a fortress for the family.
All three played their hand in a cracking team win, with the youngest Ben proving a real handful for Gold Coast’s right edge.
Fullback Tom was the pick of the crew, with the speedster putting his fingerprints all over the dominant victory.
He finished with four line-break assists, three try assists and two tries of his own. He also ran for 213 metres and was strong in defence, chasing down Keano Kini who was trying to turn the No.1 inside out.
In just his third game back from injury, the former NSW star was flawless. The Sea Eagles are a proper threat to the top five, and can cause carnage for the remaining two months of the competition.
Fermor a top find
Beau Fermor is some kind of player. The effort he puts in every round does not go unnoticed. The second-rower tried his heart out all afternoon against a brutal Manly attack.
For such a big man, the back-rower is a versatile weapon. He has filled in at centre throughout the season and never let his side down.
Fermor chased down Tommy Talau late in the second half, showcasing his outstanding work ethic and unassuming speed.
He ran for 109 metres and made 32 tackles, missing two. He scored a stunning individual try, bursting through Tommy Talau and extending his arm to place the pill on the chalk.
Away from Fermor, his edge peers were rather disappointing in defence. Brian Kelly missed four tackles, Phillip Sami three. Keano Kini also missed four despite his attacking brilliance.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira was the other try scorer – kicking off an otherwise poor performance.
2024 done and dusted for Des
Five second half tries for Manly was enough to shut out a weak Titans outfit. The glaring issue behind all five tries was the lack of effort from Gold Coast in getting back after a line break.
Tom Trbojevic had a field day pushing up in support. All he had to do was follow the ball and he was granted four-points. For the Titans, their middle was left behind time after time.
Yet for the Manly premiership winning coach, 2024 has provided little upside for Des Hasler. The Titans have scrapped to just six wins throughout the season.
Gold Coast have raced to hot starts many times in the year, but fail to go on with momentum. The discipline of their outfit is not getting better.
Not only are finals well out of contention once again – but the Titans’ bench is in shambles. They lack spark and consistency.
The bench combined for 93 minutes between four men – illustrating the little confidence in which Hasler has towards those men.
Manly’s bench produced 140+ minutes and were dominant, with Ethan Bullemor and Taniela Paseka splitting the middle wide open.