Manly 40
Storm 0
KEY POINTS:
The Manly Sea Eagles gave their veteran forward Steve Menzies the perfect sendoff as they hammered the Melbourne Storm win the National Rugby League Grand Final in Sydney tonight.
The Storm, who had been battling off-field issues all week, found no answers on the field as the Sea Eagles tore them apart with the same clinical precision with which they saw off the New Zealand Warriors during last week's qualifying round.
Before a crowd of 80,000 at the former Olympic stadium in western Sydney, Manly's winger Steve Robertson scored tries either side of halftime, then added his third in the 52nd minute as Manly reversed last year's 34-8 grand final loss to the Storm.
Manly's unanswered 40 points gave them the biggest winning margin in NRL history, breaking a record which had stood since the Eastern Suburbs Roosters' 38-0 drubbing of St George in 1975.
Menzies was playing his record-equaling 349th and final game for the Sea Eagles. Due to salary cap restraints, Menzies wasn't offered a contract to play for Manly next year. In July, he signed a one-year deal for 2009 with the Bradford Bulls in England's Super League, ending a Manly career that began in 1993.
Manly captain Matt Orford praised his players.
"That is the best feeling in the world, I can't describe it ... that's made my year," Orford said. "We had a great preparation, we've worked so hard. The pain of last year - that is gone."
Australian test prop Brent Kite, who scored one try and helped set up several others, was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match.
"I accept this on your behalf," Kite told his teammates at the trophy presentations.
The Storm, playing in the grand final for the third year in a row, came into the match in controversial circumstances.
They were without their captain, Cameron Smith, who was suspended for two matches for a dangerous tackle in Melbourne's semifinal win over Brisbane.
Subsequent complaints about the suspension by Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy and chief executive Brian Waldron resulted in the team being fined A$50,000 by the NRL.
Bellamy also questioned the league judiciary's integrity. Several members of the judiciary - the committee that decides on player suspensions and fines - said they will sue Bellamy, who has refused to apologise.
- NZ HERALD STAFF, AP
