The Manly Sea Eagles delivered an impressive performance against the defending premiers, the Penrith Panthers, in Daly Cherry-Evans’ record-breaking 310th NRL game.
Cherry-Evans made history for the Sea Eagles by surpassing club legend Cliff Lyons to become Manly’s most capped player. However, Manly’s 32-18 victory was marred by controversy.
The critical moment occurred in the 34th minute when Tolutau Koula seized on a Panthers error, intercepting a wayward pass and sprinting 90 meters to score a contentious try.
Referee Gerard Sutton’s decision to allow the play to continue, which was missed by bunker official Peter Gough, left many in disbelief. Panthers coach Ivan Cleary admitted fault, stating, “It was one of about five or six intercepts we threw, so it was a bad play by us in the first place.”
Panthers captain Isaah Yeo shared Cleary’s frustration, acknowledging that the team expected a knock-on call. “I guess the feeling was that we thought it was a knock-on,” Yeo remarked.
Yeo emphasized that while the contentious decision was disappointing, it was not the sole reason for their loss. He pointed out that errors and penalties prevented the Panthers from gaining control and getting back into the match.
“Every time we started to get back into the arm wrestle, we’d make an error or give away a penalty. That [decision] wasn’t why we lost,” Yeo admitted.
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