Cherry-Evans booed on return to Brookvale as Koula scores stunner

By Simon Smale

Topic:NRL

Daly Cherry-Evans makes his first appearance at Brookvale since his off-season switch from the Sea Eagles to the Roosters, with both teams looking for a win to kick-start their 2026 NRL season.

Hours before kick off, a storm cell whipped across the ground, with thunder, lightning and flash flooding causing havoc and a power cut.

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By Simon Smale

The Roosters have just 15 players to chose from at the moment.

Billy Smith is off, Hugo Savala is on in the centres in his place.

Egan Butcher failed his HIA earlier in the contest too.

By Simon Smale

The rain appears to have blown away for now.

That will be a relief to the crowd.

And the players, too.

By Simon Smale

Goodness, what a stunning first 40 minutes.

Two length of the field tries from the Sea Eagles - including the fastest ever try in this fixture - means that despite having barely any territory and just nine tackles in the Roosters half of the field, they lead 10-8.

The Roosters, by the way, have had 49 tackles in Manly's half.

Daly Cherry-Evans has been relentlessly booed throughout but has been steady, helping the Roosters to a 100 per cent completion rate of 22/22 despite the appalling wet conditions.

But it's very much game on in Manly at the moment.

By Simon Smale

Trbojevic sets off again down the left edge and passes back inside alongside Luke Brooks, who has really burst into space.

The ball goes to deck but there was a knock on.

The Sea Eagles can't keep hold of the ball from the resulting move to the right though and the Roosters come away with it.

But hang on, Sam Walker is forced off the field with a head clash - it was friendly fire but he does look a big groggy.

By Simon Smale

The Roosters have had 73 per cent of the territory in this game.

They've completed 16 from 16.

It's stunning that the Sea Eagles are leading this game.

But they are starting to look a lot better with the ball in hand.

Brooks does brilliantly there, delaying a pass to Trbojevic who burst through the line, passing to Hopoate who almost gets through towards the line before being cut down viciously by Nawaqanitawase.

There is a threat there though now, where there hadn't been for 30-odd minutes.

By Simon Smale

INCREDIBLE 20-METRE TRY!

Tolu Koula picked up the ball inside his own 20.

He was fronting up against Robert Toia but a little skip and a jump and a step off the left foot and suddenly he was accelerating away, bursting like a shot away from Toia and then sliding between Siua Wong and Daly Cherry-Evans.

Up against the fullback Tedesco, he shows another great move and leaves the former Blue on his backside, then shows a clean pair of heels to Siua Wong.

And he's over.

Remarkable.

The kick is no good but Manly leads 10-8 thanks to one of the best tries you'll ever see.

By Simon Smale

A great kick from Daly Cherry-Evans out to the right. It's not dealt with and the Roosters make some really nice off-the-cuff decisions to move ever closer to the Manly line.

Tedesco chips ahead and Trbojevic gathers, shrugs off his opposing fullback's challenge, but is then caught in goal.

Great kick from Jamal Fogarty though - he's nailed it 61 metres through the air to Lindsay Collins, who gets smashed in the tackle as he brings it back by Jake Trbojevic.

By Simon Smale

Extraordinary!

A set restart allowed the Sea Eagles the chance to get up over half way for the first time since the opening set of the match.

From that, a great kick from Fogarty as the Sea Eagles make the most of their rare foray into the Roosters half.

James Tedesco leaps, drops the ball, it's picked up by Brandon Wakeham who burrows over.

BUT THE REFEREE IS GETTING WORD FROM THE BUNKER!

Lehi Hopoate ran hard and gave Billy Smith a big shove as the bomb went up.

Smith then hits Tedesco as a result of that push and it's enough to rule out the try.

Had Hopoate not actually pushed Smith he might have got away with that, but there was a clear pushing motion.

Fine margins.

By Simon Smale

Their first tackle in the Roosters half - 20 minutes and 15 seconds into the game.

By Simon Smale

The Roosters get a six again call as a bouncing ball is not dealt with from a decent bomb kick that almost sees Naufahu Whyte crash through.

They move the ball to the right side.

Robert Toia does really well, straightening the line after receiving a looping pass that caught him a bit flat footed.

He straightens, accelerates and passes to Nawaqanitawase who dives over in the corner and dots down acrobatically.

Two for Nawaqanitawase, the two extra points are missed again out wide though and the Roosters now lead 8-6.

By Simon Smale

DCE has been tackled in the Manly half though - getting belted by Luke Brooks that turned the boos into cheers.

Those boos are not dying down at all at the moment.

There's been some colourful chants as well.

There's going to be some sore throats on the northern beaches in the morning if this continues.

The Sea Eagles look completely bereft of ideas with the ball though - they just can't find any space to get up field.

By Simon Smale

GET THE SLIP AND SLIDE OUT!

Mark Nawaqanitawase take a bow.

A superb kick from Luke Brooks had the Roosters defence turned round and a 40:20 looked on the cards.

But Nawaqanitawase raced back towards his own line and dived, full stretch, to knock the ball back in field before getting up and taking the tackle.

Superb use of the conditions.

By Simon Smale

A category one from the HIA - so the Rooster lock will not come back tonight, as we suspected.

By Simon Smale

Amidst the cacophony of boos, Daly Cherry-Evans orchestrates a very solid set, where the Roosters really attacked Luke Brooks defensively.

Mark Nawaqanitawase was on the end of the line and darted over - great hands from the Roosters.

Brooks came in late there though and nailed Nawaqanitawase in the head after he put it down - the former Wallaby is not best pleased but it appears that there will be no repercussions.

The kick is from the left sideline and hits the post, so Manly leads 6-4.

By Simon Smale

DCE is getting booed resoundingly every time he touches the ball, and he had a couple of touches there as the Roosters laid siege to the Sea Eagles line.

The Sea Eagles give up a set restart, then a knock on from Garrick as the overlap threatened on the left side.

By Simon Smale

It is wet. It is slippery.

And Luke Brooks got sandwiched by two Roosters and coughed up the ball.

Cherry-Evans picks up the ball and there was a resounding boo until he lost the ball too - but we'll come back for the first knock on and it's a Roosters scrum 30 metres out.

By Simon Smale

Oh no, a disastrous start for the Roosters.

A huge, surging run from the kick off saw TanielaPaseka charge into the defensive line, turning slightly and then collecting Butcher, who does not look well.

I'd be stunned if he comes back - there was immediate concern from friend and foe out there.

By Simon Smale

OH! MY! GOODNESS!

A stunning start for the Sea Eagles!

The first hit up was nothing special - a solid catch off the Roosters kick off by Brooks in the wet conditions I suppose.

BUT THEN THEY PULLED THE TRIGGER!

The ball was shifted right to that problematic Roosters right edge defence, Jason Saab made the break and raced upfield.

He passed inside to Tom Trobjevic who scored.

Incredible start!

The kick is good and it's 6-0.

By Simon Smale

We're underway at a soggy Brookvale!

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