NRL: Manly continue march up table

Manly's Glenn Stewart scores a try against the Roosters. Photo / Getty Images

NRL
Sea Eagles 38
Roosters 18

Slowly but surely, the Manly machine is slipping into gear and the rest of the NRL should be wary.

After a horrendous start to the season, both on and off the field, the Sea Eagles have now won three of their last four matches (they were cruelly denied a fourth with a controversial last-minute loss to the Titans) and are starting to play like defending champions.

They are playing with more pace, more power and certainly more purpose and it is making Matt Orford's job that much easier. A halfback is often only as good or as bad as his forward pack and Orford is starting to look like the player who last year won the Dally M Medal.

They are steadily moving up the table along with the Storm and it's not outside the realms of possibility that the two sides could meet for a third straight grand final.

Crucially, the Sea Eagles are winning without fullback Brett Stewart, who is still about six weeks away from returning from a serious knee injury.

This match was always going to be a difficult one for Manly, much more difficult than the form book might have suggested.

There's nothing like a crisis to bring players together and the Roosters have pushed the Sharks off the back pages with talk of a players' revolt against coach Brad Fittler, speculation Fittler was about to get the chop and then news the "Immortal" Artie Beetson had joined Fittler on the coaching staff.

The Roosters players gathered for a team huddle moments before they ran out and played with far greater resolve than shown in their last three matches and certainly more than on their two previous visits to Brookvale.

They had a really sorry recent record at the intimidating ground, having conceded 98 unanswered points (56-0 and 42-0).

They conceded the first try of the match, a Glenn Stewart effort in the 10th minute, but crossed for two inside the space of three minutes to take an unexpected 8-6 lead.

The second, started and finished by Setaimata Sa, was brilliantly composed from inside their own half and left the Sea Eagles clutching at thin air.

The match was a high-quality one as both sides threw the ball around.

The Roosters, in particular, produced some outlandish offloads with good effect.

Perhaps they felt the best way to break the drought was to release the shackles.

The Sea Eagles, though, always looked in control.

They regularly kept the scoreboard attendant busy throughout the second spell and, while the Roosters scored some spectacular tries of their own, Manly collected another two important competition points.

The Roosters were far from disgraced and will be thankful to at least be back on the park after a difficult fortnight.

The Sea Eagles, though, might just be back.

Sea Eagles 38 (M. Robertson 2, G. Stewart, T. Williams, D. Williams, A. Watmough, S. Matai tries, M. Orford 5 gls) Roosters 18 (S. Kenny-Dowall 2, S. Sa, B. Jones tries, C. Fitzgibbon gl). HT: 12-8.