NRL: Valiant Manly too strong for Knights

Glenn Stewart celebrates with team mates after scoring a try against the Knights. Photo / Getty Images

Sea Eagles 32
Knights 10

Manly barely broke a sweat in accounting for Newcastle 32-10, further cementing their near-certain finish in the NRL top four.

The Sea Eagles hadn't beaten their rivals from the 1997 grand final on Newcastle soil since 2006, but were emphatic in a six-tries to two romp over the Knights, who find themselves in a dog-fight to make the playoffs.

It was clear it wasn't Newcastle's day from the opening set of six, when winger James McManus made a poor defensive error, allowing Glenn Stewart to put David Williams down the right-hand touchline, before the winger found Jamie Lyon in support for a first try which took all of 44 seconds.

From the subsequent kick-off, the Knights' Wes Naiqama put it out on the full and heads dropped again.

Knights' defenders looked like they were stuck in quicksand in the 18th minute, when Manly's lethal left side put Michael Robertson over in the corner.

When the two sides met back in round three, the Sea Eagles won 26-12 - with the Knights suffering a horrific injury toll which left coach Rick Stone to describe his dressing room as a `MASH unit'.

Unfortunately for the Knights, it was groundhog day on Sunday, starting with Naiqama picking up a nasty tricep injury and bravely playing on - at one point even attempting a tackle with his back.

Then in the 30th minute, Junior Sa'u was stretchered off the field after he suffered a nasty shoulder injury causing suspected nerve damage, as his own team-mates collided with him in a sickening attempt at a tackle.

While Sa'u was down and Naiqama was in the defensive line in his place, Manly took full advantage, aiming their attack down that side, with Glenn Stewart scoring.

Great care was taken with Sa'u getting him into a neck brace and he was immediately taken to hospital.

Naiqama eventually left the field with four minutes left in the first half.

The Sea Eagles continued on their destructive path, with Lyon scoring his second on the stroke of halftime from a Daly Cherry-Evans' grubber for a 22-0 lead.

Des Hasler's side took their foot off the pedal in the second half, with late tries to Steve Matai and Brett Stewart their only additions.

McManus scored two controversial consolation tries in the final quarter of the match for the Knights - in the first he looked as though he lost control of the ball in scoring while the second seemed as though it came from the benefit of an obstruction.

Manly second rower Anthony Watmough suffered a shoulder injury in the first half after he was hit hard by Akuila Uate but could have returned to the field in the second half if required.

MANLY 32 (J Lyon 2 S Matai M Robertson B Stewart G Stewart tries J Lyon 4 goals) bt NEWCASTLE 10 (J McManus 2 tries R Stig goal) at Ausgrid Stadium. Referee: Tony Archer, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 21,798.

- AAP