KEY POINTS:
The Storm's fullback Billy Slater confirmed he was in top form with great breaks early in their match against the Cowboys, before leaving the field mid-first-half after he got Johnathan Thurston's finger in his right eye. The injury is to be assessed today.
The Storm went on to win a tight game 12-10, despite an 11-2 penalty count in favour of the home team in Townsville, because the Cowboys just kept on dropping the ball, much of it in the strike zone.
Manly scored 30 unanswered points to turn the Bulldogs' 12-0 lead after 13 minutes into a 30-22 defeat in front of 15,229 at Brookvale Oval.
Their fullback Brett Stewart, who was test No 1 in Wellington last year, was also injured around the eye, leaving the field midway through the first half to have six stitches inserted in a cut then returning in the second half.
The Bulldogs lost their fullback Luke Patten to a back injury and Brent Crisp made his NRL debut, scoring a try and kicking three from four shots at goal. Sonny Bill Williams was the Dogs' best, but the Manly forwards were superior all round and laid the platform for halfback Matt Orford to orchestrate their win.
Dogs hooker Corey Hughes is likely to attract the attention of the judiciary for his high shoulder charge on Orford after the halfback had kicked.
Darren Lockyer confirmed his test place by playing 80 minutes in Brisbane's 32-18 win over South Sydney, who remain winless after seven rounds. Tonie Carroll played through his 200th game with a hamstring strain and Justin Hodges had a needle to stop vomiting caused by a virus.
"We thought we were a chance at halftime with the Broncos a bit busted," said Souths coach Jason Taylor, "but we killed ourselves in the second half with stupid errors for the second week in a row. We have to face the brutal fact that we aren't good enough to win but we're not too far away if we can get our defence right."
Captain Roy Asotasi said "school kids are better than us". It was player errors, not the coach's fault, that had them last on the ladder. Despite Souths' bad start, Kiwis coach Steve Kearney has said Asotasi will get in the test team on form.
The Dragons plucked a lacklustre Roosters side 26-6 in the Anzac Day game at the Olympic Stadium, proving just how hot and cold the much-vaunted Roosters pack, and particularly Mark O'Meley and Willie Mason, can be. The Dragons were apparently motivated by a speech from coach Nathan Brown which evoked Anzac-like comradeship. Players afterwards denied there was any problem with morale within the squad, despite Brown's planned dumping for Wayne Bennett and talk test prop Jason Ryles wants out.
* The Warriors under-20s side beat the travel curse and midday heat on the Gold Coast as they worked to a strong 36-28 win over their Titans opposites in the curtain-raiser at Skilled Stadium yesterday.
They are proving a real force in the competition, losing their first two games then pushing on for two draws and three wins to show they arelearning well under coach Tony Iro.
They led 18-12 at the break yesterday, worked out to 30-16 beforewilting somewhat and allowing the home side two late tries, then scoring again themselves.
New Warrior Sonny Fai was dominant in setting up Kevin Locke, then backing up to score himself. Locke set up the game-clincher for centre Francis Leger at 67 minutes.
There is a good balance in this team, with tough forwards Russell Packer, Dan O'Regan and Ben Matulino and clever backs in Jody Henry, Howie Matthews and Locke, with lots of pace and power around them.
