Manly scored an impressive four tries in the final 10 minutes to run away with a big 46-18 win against a Cowboys side that had been right in the match up until that point.
The game got off to a flying start when two speedsters had a footrace in just the 3rd minute after Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow cleaned up a botched Manly play-the-ball and then raced 85 metres to score in the corner, brushing off the flying Jason Saab in the process. Valentine Holmes converted the try.
Manly responded ten minutes later after Daly Cherry-Evans kicked to the right corner where Saab jumped above everyone and took the ball cleanly to score a good try. Reuben Garrick converted to level the scores.
A 90 second period before halftime proved to be the telling period of the game, as Manly scored back-to-back tries.
In the 38th minute Cherry-Evans sent a nice ball to Tom Trbojevic who broke the line, drew the fullback and then sent a good ball to his brother Jake who scored under the posts. Garrick converted.
Shortly after the restart, Manly produce An outside-inside play by Manly on the second tackle from the restart resulted in Keiran Foran putting Tom Trbojevic into space and he ran 70 metres to score a great try. Garrick converted on halftime to give Manly an 18-6 lead at halftime.
The Cowboys scored first after the break when Jordan McLean got the ball 10 metres from the tryline and went on a powerful, bustling, bumping run, before twisting in a standing tackle to just get the ball down on the line for a rare try for the front rower. Holmes converted.
In the 58th minute an amazing piece of athleticism by Haumole Olakau'atu set up Manly's next points. A kick by Cherry-Evans looked to go dead for all money, but Olakau'atu leapt from inside the field of play and batted the ball back into the Cowboys in-goal where Jake Trbojevic planted it for a try. Garrick converted again.
Four minutes later, the Cowboys hit back when a Holmes grubber sits up nicely for Ben Condon, who gets a hand on it before the Manly defence, to score a good try. Holmes converted to keep the Cowboys within a converted try of Manly.
Then with just over 10 minutes left in the game, Manly shifted up a gear and ran away with the match. Garrick scored from a Cherry-Evans grubber in the 69th minute, but failed to convert his try.
In the 73rd minute, Tom Trbojevic scored an insane solo try where he bumped out of several tackles before barging over to score an unbelievable try. Garrick converted.
In the 78th minute Tom Trbojevic got himself into a space before linking with Cherry-Evans who raced away to score. Garrick added another goal.
And then right on fulltime, Manly crossed again, with a spectacular length of the field try after a Cowboys grubber into the Manly in-goal was collected by Garrick, who ran around and back into the field of play, then evaded two tackle attempts before passing to Cherry-Evans, who streaked down the left wing, drew the fullback and then kicked back infield to none other than Tom Trbojevic who collected the ball and fell over the line for an amazing try. Garrick converted yet again.