In a commanding performance at Brookvale Oval, the Manly Sea Eagles overwhelmed the North Queensland Cowboys with a resounding 42-12 victory on Saturday night. Tom Trbojevic starred for the Sea Eagles, amassing 234 running metres, delivering two try assists, and contributing significantly to the team’s strong showing.
Mal Meninga, commenting during the match on Fox League, highlighted Trbojevic’s dominance, noting, “With that amount of possession, he’s just unstoppable.” His exceptional first half had Cooper Cronk declaring that Trbojevic was already a frontrunner for the Dally M award thanks to his outstanding form.
The Sea Eagles set an aggressive tone early, with Haumole Olakau’atu powering through to score within just three minutes, following a well-timed pass from captain Daly Cherry-Evans. Despite missing the conversion, Manly quickly extended their lead with additional tries from Jason Saab and Ben Trbojevic, marking an explosive start that left the Cowboys reeling.
Fox League commentator Greg Alexander expressed astonishment at Manly’s early momentum, stating, “They haven’t given up the ball; they’ve been perfect with it.” The Sea Eagles further capitalised on their control, as Trbojevic orchestrated play, assisting Ethan Bullemor for another try, bringing the score to 24-0 by halftime.
The statistics were stark, with Manly dominating possession and the Cowboys struggling defensively, reflected in a tackle count of 152-53 in favour of North Queensland—a statistic that left Alexander stunned.
The second half continued to showcase Manly’s prowess as Toafofoa Sipley muscled his way over the line just minutes after play resumed. Trbojevic and Saab combined for another spectacular try, with Saab executing a clever grubber kick that allowed Reuben Garrick to score. Alexander marvelled, saying, “I can’t believe how well Manly are playing … this is scintillating football.”
In his 15th season opener, Cherry-Evans put the finishing touch on the Sea Eagles’ scoring spree with a solo effort that pushed them to 40 points. The Cowboys eventually got on the board with a consolation try from Scott Drinkwater, followed by a second from Braidon Burns, but the late efforts were far too little to alter the outcome of what had been a decisive display of dominance from Manly.
Overall, the match underscored the Sea Eagles’ capability and set an impressive tone for the start of the season, while raising questions about the form and strategy of the North Queensland Cowboys moving forward.