SYDNEY has a team in the grand final. That it is Manly will still irk some, but credit to them. Like them or loathe them, the Sea Eagles are a very good football team. Their third grand final in five years awaits.
The cherry on top came from halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, who was the catalyst for most things good on a night when there was plenty. He had a hand in four of the Sea Eagles' five tries.
He and five-eighth Kieran Foran are aiming to become the youngest halves pairing to lead a team to a premiership in 30 years, but there is nothing in the game of either that suggests they are incapable.
They provided the spark in attack while centre Jamie Lyon provided the inspiration in defence; his tackle on Matt Gillett with 10 minutes remaining, with a Broncos win still a possibility, was wonderful. It was a poignant moment for the night; Lyon's heroics came with Darren Lockyer in row three.
It did not come without a price. Both second-rower Tony Williams and centre Steve Matai were placed on report, which will bring a touch of drama to the Sea Eagles' preparations. Just for a change. And just as they get Glenn Stewart back.
What was clear on this night was that the Sea Eagles' relatively easy preparation - at complete odds with that of their opponents - was a key factor. The Broncos not only missed Lockyer, but they were also hampered by having only a few days without their retiring five-eighth.
The Broncos will have been planning for life without Lockyer for some time, yet the first half hour showed planning can only help so much - especially in a preliminary final. The Broncos took that much time to adjust to being without their inspirational captain, and by then Manly had just about finished off the match.
What many had thought was that the Broncos would be steeled somewhat in defence without Lockyer. The 104kg frame of Gillett, Lockyer's replacement, is an imposing one, yet the Broncos gave away a soft try in the opening five minutes. It would have been a dagger to the heart; the Broncos would have known that scoring points was going to be difficult, but so long as they held firm without the ball they were in with a chance.
Sea Eagles hooker Matt Ballin burrowing over from dummy half after four minutes was an awful start.
What the Broncos also needed was to take every opportunity. After 10 minutes, they had a golden one, only for the golden-haired left-side combination of Jack Reed and Dale Copley to get in each other's way. Halfback Peter Wallace kicked and Reed took a clean grab - until Copley got in his way.
A minute later, the Sea Eagles made them pay, and they did so after another muddled effort from the Broncos' centre-wing combination, who were not enjoying the opening. Reed's ball coming out of their own quarter was spilled, and Cherry-Evans sent winger Will Hopoate over.
Ten-nil quickly became 16-0 when Cherry-Evans put fullback Brett Stewart over from close range. The Broncos hardly had time to blink and they were facing annihilation and exit.
Lockyer must have been the loneliest man in the ground. At least the Broncos had each other to muster their strength.Yet that they did, for a time. Gillett had been attempting a corn flakes approach to five-eighth - the simple things in life are often the best. His 30th minute kick was actually not that simple but it was certainly effective - especially having a player of the skill of Jharal Yow Yeh on the other end of it. The winger did superbly to latch onto the kick, placing the ball over his shoulder as he lay on his back. In doing so he got his side off its back and into the fight again.
For a time anyway. The Broncos' stand-in skipper Sam Thaiday, who had been in just about everything, was a little over-eager as he attempted to put Cherry-Evans on his back after a kick. The penalty was awarded, the halfback dusted himself off and played another key role as Hopoate scored his second.
The Broncos came back but they missed their leader. Now a long off-season awaits for them to truly appreciate that.
MANLY 26 (W Hopoate 2 M Ballin K Foran B Stewart tries J Lyon 3 goals) bt BRISBANE 14 (D Copley P Wallace J Yow Yeh tries C Parker goal) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Jared Maxwell. Crowd: 31,894.
Source:Sydney Morning Herald
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