Dragons condemn Manly to third-straight loss

St George Illawarra have survived another NRL capitulation, holding off Manly to win 20-18 and condemn the Sea Eagles to a third-straight loss without fullback Tom Trbojevic. After starting 2025 with plenty of promise, the Sea Eagles' season is delicately-poised after two tries from Tyrell Sloan helped the Dragons claim victory in front of 17,254 at Brookvale Oval on Thursday. It is Manly's third-consecutive loss without Trbojevic, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.

The Sea Eagles' only win in the weeks since Daly Cherry-Evans' announced he would leave the northern beaches at season's end has been against wooden spoon favourites Parramatta. The victory was a major step forward for Shane Flanagan's Dragons, who have blown two 12-point leads against South Sydney and Parramatta already this season. But Manly's ill-discipline, which included a second-half Toff Sipley sinbinning for a hip-drop tackle on Mat Feagai, got the Dragons over the line.



It also helped that the Sea Eagles dished up what was arguably their worst opening 40 minutes of football this season, making nine first-half errors and completing at a pitiful 62 per cent. Jake Trbojevic was taken off seven minutes into the contest after showing signs of a category one concussion and the Dragons were easily finding space up the middle without the Manly lock's defensive steel. They finally got over the line through winger Sloan, whose 18th-minute try was converted by Valentine Holmes.

The Queensland State of Origin centre kicked a penalty to put the Dragons 8-0 up heading into halftime. Sloan added his second with a 90m breakaway try off a 46th-minute Ben Trbojevic error with Holmes adding the extras. Trailing 14-0 with a little over half an hour left, Manly finally clicked into gear when Tom Trbojevic's replacement at fullback Lehi Hopoate helped set up Tolu Koula for the Sea Eagles' first of the evening.

Sipley's sinbinning opened the door for the Dragons to turn the screw, but instead it was Manly who stood tall. Reuben Garrick nudged a penalty goal and converted a Ben Trbojevic try to pull the home side level as Sipley was returning from the sinbin. Holmes then converted a barge-over from Jacob Liddle but Reuben Garrick sliced his conversion attempt after a Jason Saab try, meaning Manly trailed by two points with 10 minutes left.

The Sea Eagles kept searching for a late winner but came up empty handed..