Live: Manly on top of ‘unsettling’ Panthers, Cowboys flog Titans

The Panthers look defeated here.

With just about six minutes left on the clock, they’re in need of three converted tries.

They won’t get them, although they do have a penalty here for a high tackle deep in their own territory.

Or do they?

Manly opts to send it upstairs – and they’re successful.

No penalty, but Penrith restarts deep.

Tolutau Koula breaks through after a quick bit of play bamboozles the Panthers’ backline.

DCE has the ball in the centre of the pitch, he releases it to the onrushing Koula on his right.

It’s all too quick for Penrith and he’s Koula charges in, dummies a couple, and slides over.

It was clearly one from the training ground – Koula made a lung busting run from deep on the left.

The conversion is shanked and it’s a 16 point lead for Manly.

Daly Cherry Evans chips a high, tempting kick up on the last and it’s Haumole Olakau’atu who plucks it out of the air.

Olakau’atu rises expertly, gathers it, charges through a couple of tackles and places it down.

Reuben Garrick slots the kick, and the Sea Eagles lead by 10.

A massive breakaway for the Sea Eagles.

They regain the ball from a sloppy bit of Panthers play deep in their own territory.

The Sea Eagles charge forward and the Panthers backline are nowhere. Tom Trbojevic gets his hands on the ball and chips a kick forward, with DCE running on to it.

However, he can’t get to it, as it looks like Paul Alamoti blatantly shoves him off the ball.

The incident is sent to the bunker – the prospect of a penalty try is quickly ruled out, but Alamoti is pinged for a professional foul and he’s off to the sinbin.

Manly has a penalty kick 15m out slightly to the left.

It’s tucked away by Reuben Garrick – the score is 10-16 with both teams down to 12 men.

The whistle blows and no-one is sure why.

Turns out it’s for a high tackle by Siosiua Taukeiaho a couple plays back. He’s put on report and sent to the bin.

Just what the Sea Eagles didn’t need – they’ll have to defend a resurgent Panthers with a man down.

A beautiful little kick by DCE looks like he’s unlocked Reuben Garrick down the right, but he’s tackled on his way towards the line.

The Sea Eagles have one play remaining and work it out to the left slickly.

It looks like they’re a chance of getting through but it’s a mistimed pass and the ball is down.

The Panthers have it back.

And it’s Luke Sommerton who charges forward from dummy half. He goes over amidst a sea of Manly bodies.

He looks like he’s put it down, but the try goes for review, and it’s ruled out.

A Manly arm got underneath the ball and the Panthers restart on the last.

Cleary chips one forward and the Sea Eagles just about get it out of their goal area.

They rebuild deep in their own territory.

The Panthers are circling now – they have a set restart about 10 metres out and it’s some beautiful stuff to set Paul Alamoti away on the right.

However, he can’t get through, and the Panthers are forced to re-image things through Dylan Edwards in the centre.

And it’s another set restart!

It’s frantic stuff as the Panthers rebuild again, just short of the line.

And they score!

It’s Paul Alamoti who’s over this time, after a quick popped pass from Izack Tago on the line.

Cleary slots the conversion beautifully from the right touchline and, all of a sudden, it’s 14-10.

And from absolutely nowhere, it’s Blaize Talagi who goes over!

Only moments after it looked like Lehi Hopoate kept Nathan Cleary’s kick in play, the Panthers strike.

Talagi takes things into his own hands and charges through a few Manly bodies to put it down.

Nathan Cleary doesn’t get enough bend on the conversion attempt and it flies wide of the sticks.

It’s a 10-point game in Western Sydney.

Jazz Tevaga is making some great ground, carrying a Panthers body with him for about 15m.

Manly gets a penalty and elect not to kick for goal. DCE instead sends it into touch deep.

Scott Sorensen is back on the field after his sin-binning and Penrith are able to regain the ball.

Nathan Cleary smashes one up field and pulls off a 40/20 – although it looked like Lehi Hopoate actually kept in play.

The Panthers will need some sort of miracle to not end tonight on the bottom of the ladder.

They have first use as the second half is underway.

It has been a really impressive first half of rugby league from Manly.

The Sea Eagles have a 100% completion rate from the first 40, and Tom Trbojevic has been absolutely instrumental on his return.

He set up Tommy Talau for Manly’s second try after Reuben Garrick had opened the scoring.

Penrith looked a bit all over the place, exhibiting some silly mistakes and lacklustre movement.

“I think Ivan will be stoked going into half-time, only 14 points down,” says Luke Lewis on commentary for ABC Sport.

Was last week’s win over the Roosters a false dawn for the four-time defending premiers?

We’ll find out soon – the second half isn’t far away.

On the last of the latest Panthers set, Nathan Cleary deftly punts one through to the Manly goal area via a nutmeg on Dylan Brown.

It’s defended by DCE who just about shepherds it into safety.

Penrith have it back and Cleary kicks another one past the Manly try-line.

Again, its defended by Manly and they’re pushing late on in the first half.

It’s a hefty, hefty challenge from Scott Sorensen.

Nathan Brown has the ball and charges straight for the Penrith man.

It’s a big collision, Sorensen is leading with the shoulder, and he is sent to the sin bin.

It’s a really painful one for Brad Schneider – his head is essentially sat on by Daly Cherry-Evans during a tackle 10 metres from the try-line.

He goes off with a pretty hefty gash to his cheek.

Manly are pressing forward, dancing in and out of the 10-metre line.

And the pressure tells – the Sea Eagles are awarded a penalty for a late leg lift by Isaiah Papali’i.

Manly takes the kick, and Tom Trbojevic hammers an easy one home.

That’s 14 unanswered first-half points for the visitors, meanwhile for Panthers premiership winner Luke Lewis has described Penrith’s play as “unsettling”.

The Panthers are on their third and have bodies on the right, but Sorensen decides not to unleash his onrushing teammates.

A high wobbler is kicked on the last and Lehi Hopoate can’t gather it cleanly.

Liam Miller is adjudged to have knocked it on as he rose alongside Hopoate, and Manly has a fresh set to play with.

Manly is standing off as Penrith has their best set for a while.

Cleary chips one through on the last, the Sea Eagles gather it, but the whistle is blown.

Liam Miller is too eager and called off-side.

More mistakes from the Panthers and the Sea Eagles are then through in a flash.

DCE chips a tempting one into the Panthers goal area but Dylan Edwards gathers and just about gets out of his goal area.

Meanwhile, Casey McLean has passed his HIA and back on the field.

And it’s Tommy Talau who goes over for the Sea Eagles.

Some slick play down through the middle and Tom Trbojevic, on his return, unlocks Talau, who’s onrushing to his right.

Reuben Garrick nails the conversion and it’s a deserved 12-0 lead.

Excellent kick down field from Manly on the last and it swirls over Paul Alamoti just up from his try line.

Two Sea Eagles are converging on him, but he just about manages to get the pass away to Dylan Edwards who breaks forward a touch.

The Panthers complete their six with a kick deep into Manly territory.

They then are able to peg Manly pack effectively – the visitors hardly make any ground in their first three. But DCE gets his massive boot to it and the Panthers rebuild from their own tryline.

And the Panthers are breaking down the right – some slick passing and there are bodies breaking down the wing.

However, Scott Sorensen puts in a wayward pass that finds touch. It looked forward as well.

The Sea Eagles rebuild.