Round 24 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup delivered a tense arm-wrestle at 4 Pines Park, with the Warriors edging out the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 18-12.
The opening exchanges were scrappy, with both sides guilty of handling errors on the slippery surface. Manly forced an early error deep in Warriors territory but could not capitalise, while strong goal-line defence from the visitors kept the home side out on their opening raids.
Manly struck first, with prop D'Jazirhae Pua'avase powering over for the opening try in the 12th minute. Tex Hoy slotted the conversion to give the Sea Eagles a 6-0 lead, and for a short spell it looked like Manly's forward-dominant approach would set the tone.
The Warriors responded emphatically. Jye Linnane opened his account in the 21st minute, before five-eighth Luke Hansen produced the play of the half, dummying through a gap and sprinting 20 metres to score in the 25th minute. Linnane then completed his double in the 33rd minute, turning a 6-point deficit into a commanding lead.
Jett Cleary was faultless with the boot, converting two from two, and the Warriors carried an 18-6 advantage into half-time after scoring 12 unanswered points inside 12 minutes.
Manly regrouped after the break and lifted their line-speed, holding the Warriors scoreless for a long stretch of the second half. Their persistence paid off when Josh Feledy finished off a well-worked chip-and-regather try, with Tex Hoy again converting to close the margin to 18-12.
Despite a spirited final quarter and several line-breaks, Manly could not find the try-line again. The Warriors' defence stiffened when it mattered most, snuffing out the comeback bid and holding on for a hard-fought 18-12 victory.
Talking Points
Jye Linnane 's double continues a red-hot run of form, following his double against Penrith the week before.
Manly's forward pack were direct and physical, particularly in the second-half cut-out plays, but costly errors in the first half proved the difference.
The Warriors' ability to keep the ball alive under pressure, squeezing offloads out of tackles, was central to breaking down Manly's line in the first half.
This result lifts the Warriors back into the top five on the live ladder.
Key Moment
The Warriors' 12-point burst between the 21st and 33rd minutes, sparked by Jye Linnane's opening try, Luke Hanson's dazzling 20-metre solo effort and Linnane's second, flipped a 6-0 deficit into an 18-6 lead and proved decisive in the final result.
What's next?
With two rounds remaining in the NSW Cup season, the Warriors will look to build on this win to cement their place inside the top five, as they face the South Sydney Rabbitohs next Saturday. Manly will travel up to the Hunter Region to contest the Newcastle Knights.
