Injured Sea Eagles win easy

Manly has overcome a heavy injury toll to record a 28-10 victory over a lack-lustre Parramatta side at Brookvale Oval on Friday night.

Having already lost skipper Matt Orford (abductor) an hour before kick-off, the Sea Eagles lost pivot Jamie Lyon and luckless prop Jason King before half-time.

Despite their misfortune the Eagles held a slender half-time lead and after an early equaliser from the Eels and piled on four unanswered tries in the second stanza to seal their seventh-successive victory

The Eels have fallen away badly after a promising start to the season to remain stranded outside the top eight following their third-straight loss.

After an innocuous opening it was the visitors who opened the scoring when Mark Riddell sliced through the Manly defence in the 12th minute.

Krisnan Inu added the extras from directly in front to steal the early 6-0 lead.

The Sea Eagles crossed four minutes later only to be denied when referee Shayne Hayne ruled the final pass to Anthony Watmough travelled forward.

The hosts were fortunate not to fall further behind midway through the opening stanza when Chad Robinson was ruled not to have grounded the ball over the Eagles line.

Manly was soon dealt another major blow when King hobbled from the field clutching his foot having just entered the fray off the bench after an 11-week absence from a similar injury.

But despite the heavy injury toll the hosts began to find their rhythm, and when Matt Ballin scurried over from dummy half the Eagles were back on level terms at 6-6 at the half-hour mark.

And when Williams crossed out wide on the back of some smart ball movement in the final minute of the stanza, the Eagles took a 10-6 lead into the sheds.

It took just two minutes for the Eels to square the ledger through giant winger Tony Williams who crossed out wide for his side's second try of the night.

The Eels' joy was to be short lived when Watmough barged over in the 46th minute - Williams' added the extras from the sideline and it was 16-10 Manly's way

Williams extended his side's lead when he crossed for his second try in the 53rd minute and when centre Steve Matai crossed minutes later the Eagles were in full command at 24-10.

Matai made it a double with 11 minutes remaining - the Kiwi international strolling over after Brett Stewart delivered a miracle no-look-flick pass to ice the match.

Sea Eagles 28
Tries: Williams 2, Matai 2, Ballin, Watmough,
Goals: Williams 2

Eels 10
Tries: Riddell, Williams,
Goals: Inu

Sportal Player of the Year:
3 - David Williams (Sea Eagles)
2 - Brett Stewart (Sea Eagles)
1 - Glenn Stewart (Sea Eagles)