Sea Eagles win soured by prop’s ‘devastating’ injury
Scott Bailey |
Kieran Foran has backed Siua Taukeiaho to fight back and resume his NRL career after the veteran prop broke his leg in two places in Manly’s 32-4 win over Brisbane.
On a night where teenage halfback Joey Walsh again showed why he is a star of the future, the Sea Eagles’ oldest player suffered a devastating blow when scoring a try.
Charging onto a ball from close to the line after halftime, Taukeiaho’s leg twisted beneath two Broncos defenders as he fought to get the ball down.
The off-contract 34-year-old was given the pain-relieving green whistle as he lay stricken on the ground, before being stretchered off the field in a medicab.
Taukeiaho was set to undergo surgery overnight, with the two-time premiership winner having revived his career at Manly after a tough stint at Catalans in the Super League.
“Devastating for Siua, it’s a pretty bad break from all reports chatting to our doctor,” Manly coach Foran said.
“It’s a double break of the leg, the tibia and fibula on that lower leg.
“I can’t give him a big enough wrap for the job he has done for us at this part of the season.
“It’s not over for Siua, he is a true professional and get the job done and come back sooner than expected. Hopefully he is back before the end of the season.”
Taukeiaho’s injury soured what was an otherwise brilliant Saturday night for Manly at Brookvale Oval.
They have now won five of six matches since Kieran Foran took over as coach, with the Manly legend now looking almost certain to take the job on a full-time capacity.
Albeit against a depleted Broncos who were wasteful with most of their attacking opportunities, Manly’s defence had real punch and physicality.
Haumole Olakau’atu spent 80 minutes whacking visiting players, at one stage flattening Reece Walsh in a moment that summed up the second half.
So much has Manly’s defence improved, they have now conceded 82 points in six games under Foran compared to 98 in the first three matches before Anthony Seibiold was sacked.
In attack, the Sea Eagles are clicking and now entrenched in the NRL’s top eight.
Starting for just the second time in the NRL, Joey Walsh scored Manly’s first try when he ran onto a Brandon Wakeham ball and through a gaping hole from close distance.
He also kicked a massive first-half 40-20, and helped the Sea Eagles regain possession at a crucial point in the first half with a pinpoint perfect short dropout.
Tolu Koula was a threat after being moved back to left centre, while five-eighth Luke Brooks is playing as well now as any point since he joined Manly in 2024.
Brooks helped lay on one try, when he ran it on the last and went short side before the much-improved Wakeham sent Hopoate over.
And Koula also finished the night with a try, when Wakeham chipped ahead for stand-in fullback Clayton Faualalo, who found Koula on the inside to score.
Brisbane, in comparison, were ordinary.
Even with more than 10 players out through injury, there was little excuse for their poor handling in attack.
The defending premiers squandered almost every good opportunity, with their only points coming from a Walsh cut-out ball for winger Antonio Verhoeven early in the match.
But they completed at just 47 per cent in an error-riddled second half, leaving them with only two tackles in Manly’s 20-metre zone.
“Our boys just didn’t give ourselves an opportunity with the lack of effort we had,” coach Michael Maguire said.
“Just silly, fundamental errors cost us. We were trying to push passes when we just needed to roll our sleeves up and dig in.”
AAP