15 Mar 2015

Manly withstand the Storm

12:43 pm on 15 March 2015

Manly have withstood a huge Melbourne fightback to triumph 24-22 at Brookvale Oval and claim their first win of the National Rugby League season on Saturday night.

Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans in action

Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans in action Photo: Photosport

A flurry of three tries in eight minutes had the Sea Eagles up 24-6 at half-time, but three tries to the Storm got the visitors back to within two points with five minutes to play.

But Manly held strong in the last five minutes to take the game, despite not scoring a point in the second half.

Elsewhere, Newcastle emerged the victors from an ugly, spiteful NRL slugfest in Townsville, beating the North Queensland Cowboys 16-14.

The match will carry a heavy cost for both sides, with Newcastle's Origin star Beau Scott facing a lengthy suspension for two bad tackles on Cowboys Origin star Johnathan Thurston.

Thurston was himself put on report for a high shot on winger Akuila Uate who appeared to slip and fall into the tackle.

Penrith rubbed salt into Gold Coast's wounds with a 40-0 trouncing, the Panthers running in eight tries to the Titans' none in Bathurst to go top of the table after two rounds.