NZ Warriors crush Manly in Auckland as Trbojevic, DCE injured

The Warriors have bounced back from their Las Vegas disappointment in emphatic fashion, steamrolling the Manly Sea Eagles 36-16 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland for Round 2 of the 2025 NRL season.

It was a nightmare night for Manly who were $1.38 favourites with the top NRL bookmakers, who not only suffered a heavy defeat but also lost two of their biggest stars, Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans, to injury in the second half.

The Sea Eagles played the final 15 minutes with just 12 men after Jake Trbojevic was sin-binned, further compounding their woes.

Manly started strongly, with Trbojevic crossing inside the first four minutes after linking up with Jason Saab and Reuben Garrick. However, errors and ill-discipline soon crept into their game, allowing the Warriors to wrestle back control.

Luke Metcalf, who has taken over the Warriors’ playmaking duties following Shaun Johnson’s retirement, orchestrated the turnaround with a commanding performance. He was instrumental in all aspects of the attack, setting up multiple tries and capping off his night with a late four-pointer.

Chanel Harris-Tavita got the Warriors on the board in the 20th minute, before Taine Tuaupiki and Ali Leiataua added their names to the scoresheet to give the home side an 18-6 halftime lead.

Manly tried to mount a comeback early in the second half, with Jason Saab grabbing a contentious try in the 48th minute. Replays suggested he may have lost control of the ball, but the Bunker ruled in Manly’s favour, cutting the deficit to 18-10.

New Zealand Warriors v Manly Sea Eagles Highlights

However, the Warriors quickly snuffed out any hopes of a Sea Eagles resurgence. Hooker Wayde Egan produced a moment of brilliance, scooping up a loose ball and breaking 40 metres downfield before finishing the set with a crafty dummy-half try.

Cherry-Evans then delivered a moment of magic, scoring one of the tries of the season after Garrick batted a Saab kick back infield just before it went dead. The effort closed the gap to 24-16, but it was as close as Manly would get.

With their captain and fullback sidelined, the visitors crumbled under the weight of the Warriors’ relentless attack. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck stormed over in the 71st minute, before Tuaupiki intercepted a wayward Manly pass and offloaded to Metcalf, who sprinted clear to put the finishing touches on a dominant win.

Post-match, Manly coach Anthony Seibold confirmed that Trbojevic left the field with hamstring tightness, while Cherry-Evans suffered a back spasm.

“We will have to get them checked,” Seibold said.

“Turbo was feeling a little bit of tightness… and Daly was having a bit of a spasm.”

Despite the heavy defeat, Seibold refused to make excuses.

“We were beaten by a better side tonight. They prepared well, played with physicality, and took advantage of field position,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Warriors will take confidence from their first win of the season, with Metcalf’s performance silencing early-season critics. Coach Andrew Webster praised his side’s resilience and ability to bounce back from a poor round-one showing.

The Warriors will now host the Sydney Roosters next week, while Manly will be sweating on injury updates as they prepare for a crucial clash against the Bulldogs.

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