NRL: A good Friday for Matai and the Broncos' senior star

Steve Matai. Photo / Getty Images

Steve Matai put his hand up for New Zealand test selection with a barnstorming two-try effort in Manly's 22-16 NRL victory over Penrith at Brookvale Oval last night.

And at the Sydney Football Stadium, Darren Lockyer turned Good Friday into a great one for Brisbane as the veteran superstar led the Broncos to a 31-18 win over the Wests Tigers.

Matai's efforts were supported by another fine performance from young Manly fullback Will Hopoate, again filling in for the injured Brett Stewart, who has missed four rounds with a hamstring injury.

Hopoate thrilled the crowd of 14,623 with a series of impressive plays, including throwing a perfect cut-out pass for Matai's second try in the 46th minute and a 40m kick-return four minutes later.

Matai and Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran did their Kiwi chances no harm with confident games before the May 6 Test against Australia.

The win puts the Sea Eagles into the top four for the first time this season.

But they were not always in control, as Penrith dominated possession and field position in the opening 20 minutes.

The home team opened the scoring in the 16th minute after a Jamie Lyon flick pass fooled Penrith duo Michael Jennings and David Simmons before finding the hands of winger Michael Oldfield, who tiptoed along the sideline and crossed for an unconverted try in the corner.

They went further ahead in the 29th minute, when Foran took the ball from a scrum and sent Matai in for a 10-0 lead.

A penalty infringement by the Panthers at the play-the-ball in the 69th minute enabled Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans to extend the lead to 18-4 through a penalty goal.

In the 71st minute, Manly iced the match when Matai passed up the chance of a hattrick by passing to winger Michael Robertson while he was over the tryline.

In the night's other round seven game, Lockyer toyed with the Tigers as the Broncos showed there was plenty of attack to go with their impregnable defence.

Four first-half tries seemingly had Brisbane home, but when the home side got back within seven points with 28 minutes left to play, Lockyer asserted his authority as only he can.

He ducked down a short blind side from a scrum win to seal the Broncos' sixth win from seven games.

What was billed as maybe the final clash between the retiring Lockyer and Tigers star Benji Marshall turned into a non-event as the old master dominated and an uninspired Marshall was hardly sighted.

- AAP