NRL: Sea Eagles shock Broncos
Sunday 2 August 2015 13:03, UK
NRL leaders Brisbane Broncos were shocked 44-14 by the Sea Eagles on Saturday, keeping Manly's finals hopes alive.
The Sea Eagles chalked up their second consecutive victory with the Broncos thrashing, and have come within two points of the top eight.
The win came just days after they sacked coach Geoff Toovey, with Trent Barrett set to take over next season.
It was a dream start for the Sea Eagles, who moved to a 20-0 half-time lead, with captain Jamie Lyon setting the tone for the game with several influential plays.
The Sea Eagles went on to score four more tries after the break as they saw off a brief Brisbane fightback.
"We're still in there with a chance, we know that and all we can do is turn up every week and put a performance in and try and win the match," Toovey said.
"If we do it five more times, we've a chance."
The Broncos maintained their top spot despite the loss, but are equal on points with second-placed North Queensland Cowboys following their 32-24 victory over the Canberra Raiders on Saturday.
The Raiders wasted an 18-0 lead and now find themselves in a position where they need to win at least four out of five games in order to remain in the hunt for a top-eight position.
The Dragons were premiership contenders just two months ago before a string of losses threw their campaign off track. Their 46-24 win on Sunday over the Newcastle Knights, who sent coach Rick Stone packing on Monday, was welcome.
Third-placed Sydney Roosters recorded a thrilling 38-28 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday, while the South Sydney Rabbitohs edged the Penrith Panthers 20-16 on Sunday.
However the win was not without consequence, with Rabbitohs forward Kyle Turner suffering a concussion.
The Cronulla Sharks trailed for 70 minutes of their game against the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday before surging to a 18-14 triumph.
Rounding out the top six were Melbourne Storm, who suffered a surprise 16-34 loss to West Tigers on Friday.
The Parramatta Eels conclude Round 21 when they take on bottom-placed Gold Coast Titans in a Monday night clash, with the Titans suffering a late blow after skipper Nate Myles was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury.
