In a tense match, the Canberra Raiders narrowly escaped losing two of their players to the sin bin during the first half due to a professional foul involving Luke Brooks of Manly. As Brooks attempted to equalise the score with a grubber kick from 30 metres out, he pursued the ball while being defended by Kaeo Weekes. Consequently, both Weekes and the Raiders’ Xavier Savage ended up holding Brooks back by his jersey, prompting Nine’s commentator Peter Psaltis to suggest a potential sin bin. Billy Slater supported this view, noting the infringement.
Referee Peter Gough awarded a penalty to Manly, calling Weekes and Raiders captain Joseph Tapine forward. Despite Tapine’s attempts to defend his teammate, Gough was firm, sending Weekes to the sin bin. Phil Gould commented on the situation, pointing out that both Weekes and Savage committed fouls, pondering if both could be penalised, to which Slater humorously responded.
During Weekes’ time off the field, Manly struggled to leverage the numerical advantage, with the score remaining at 10-6 until his return. The initial part of the game saw Tom Trbojevic score first for Manly in an impressive 90-metre team play. Following that, Canberra’s Ethan Strange darted through Manly’s defence, reaching the try line before Savage added another try, although Jamal Fogarty failed to convert.
Overall, the match highlighted both teams’ tactical play and the critical moments that could have shifted the momentum in either direction.