Battered Manly pluck win off Roosters

An under-strength Manly flexed their premiership muscle with a hard-fought 18-10 NRL victory over the Sydney Roosters at Brookvale Oval yesterday.

With four players missing through NSW Origin commitments, the Sea Eagles were dealt another blow after just 15 minutes with star five-eighth Kieran Foran sidelined with an ankle injury.

The Sea Eagles were not without their good fortune, with the Roosters controversially denied a try that could have levelled the match with 20 minutes to play.

Roosters halfback Daniel Mortimer was unlucky not to have a double when he was denied by video referee Pat Reynolds, who spotted an infringement by second-rower Brad Takairangi in the lead-up to the try. Takairangi, who provided the offload for Mortimer’s run, was ruled to have hit Manly’s Daniel Harrison with his elbow while making the hitup.

He was put on report.

After being sidelined for five weeks with a hamstring injury, Foran’s comeback was shortlived.

He limped out of a Martin Kennedy tackle, struggling to put weight on his right ankle.

The New Zealand international tried to battle on, putting in the kick at the end of the set, but soon succumbed to the injury. Brother Liam was the key to Manly’s victory, with the elder Foran laying on a try for Steve Matai with a miracle bounce on halftime that levelled the scores, 10-10.

Meanwhile, a golden-point field goal from rookie halfback Adam Reynolds sealed a 19-18 win for the South Sydney Rabbitohs over St George Illawarra at Kogarah.

The 21-year-old cleared the posts from 35 metres two minutes into the extra period to clinch a third successive win.

Debutant Justin Hunt thought he had won the game with a try but his foot brushed the line and with Jamie Soward failing with a penalty and two field goals, the game went into golden point.