Dynamic duo engineer destruction of hapless Rabbitohs in nine- try rout Eagles simply two good
MASTERCLASSES from Tom Trbojevic and Dylan Walker last night spurred Manly to a 46- 8 rout of South Sydney at Allianz Stadium.
The game was as good as over at halftime after Trent Barrett’s side raced out to a 30- 2 lead as Trbojevic ran riot and Walker continued his devastating form.
Trbojevic had a hand in four of his side’s six first- half fourpointers while Walker terrorised the Rabbitohs down the right edge and sent Akuila Uate over for four tries.
Michael Maguire’s side have now lost five of their past six with many of the 10,594strong crowd leaving in disap- pointment before fulltime.
Manly had heroes all over the park with Uate collecting four tries against Souths for the second time in his career – the first was for Newcastle in round 26, 2011.
The Sea Eagles took the game away from Souths with four tries in the final 13 minutes with Trbojevic the main destroyer, in a performance that would have made NSW State of Origin selectors and Blues coach Laurie Daley sit up and take notice.
The fullback finished with 209 metres, a linebreak and three linebreak assists.
Trbojevic opened up the Rabbitohs defence on the left to send Jorge Taufua over in the 27th minute and then took a Daly Cherry- Evans bomb in the lead- up to Uate’s first try.
Six minutes later he put Walker through a hole for Uate’s second and then put the cherry on the cake of a stellar 40 minutes by sending brother Jake over from close range.
It was an outstanding showing from 20- year- old Trbojevic that should put him right in the mix for a Blues debut.
Souths had the ball just three times in the final 29 minutes of the first half as they were made to make 175 tackles to Manly’s 79 in the first 40. The Rabbitohs finally got over for their first and only try in the 50th minute through Hymel Hunt.
Manly soon resumed the rout with Walker sending Uate over in the 59th and 69th minutes before Trbojevic split the defence in the middle of the field for Blake Green to score.