In a thrilling encounter at 4 Pines Park, the South Sydney Rabbitohs edged past the Sea Eagles with a narrow 16-14 victory in the opening round of the Jersey Flegg Cup.
Despite scoring the first try of both halves, Manly found themselves trailing 10-4 at halftime and were unable to mount a successful comeback in the second half. Their hopes of leveling the scores in the dying stages were dashed when their attempted penalty goal sailed wide.
Manly showed resilience early on, holding off the Rabbitohs’ attacks and eventually opening the scoring with a try from Max Hayley in the sixth minute. However, South Sydney quickly responded, with Rowan McIntosh crossing over to level the scores.
The Rabbitohs gained momentum and capitalized on a fatigued Sea Eagles defense, with Dane Towns scoring just before halftime to give his side a 10-4 lead at the break.
Manly started the second half strongly, with Teapo Stoltman scoring a try in the opening minute to narrow the gap to 10-8. However, South Sydney extended their lead with a try from Carson Kaho in the 55th minute.
The Sea Eagles fought back valiantly, with Carsen Patu scoring a try in the 62nd minute to bring them within two points of the Rabbitohs. However, a missed penalty goal attempt from Blake Metcalfe in the final minutes sealed their fate, as South Sydney held on for a narrow victory.
Despite the disappointment, Manly will look to bounce back in Round Two as they face the Sydney Roosters at 4 Pines Park on Sunday, March 17, at 12pm.
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