Catch up on all the tries from the Round One game between the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v South Sydney Rabbitohs. To watch every NSWRL game LIVE in 2025, subscribe to BarTV at https://www.bartvsports.com.au/nswrltv/
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Match summary
Rabbitohs steal the win over the Sea Eagles
by Ellery Behan
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs have kicked off their respective 2025 NSW Cup campaigns in a hard-fought battle at 4 Pines Park, with the Bunnies coming away with a 22-20 triumph.
The opening exchanges saw plenty of errors, with both sides more than willing to chance their arm out wide in hopes of an early break.
It was the visitors who drew first blood with a spectacular solo effort from Bayleigh Bentley-Hape, fielding a Manly chip kick only to grubber ahead for himself on the zero-tackle from his own 30-metre line, running outside the eastern touch line to beat his opponent to the ball, regathering and going the distance to give his side a 6-0 lead.
Unable to tidy up their sets through the middle, a forward-pass from South Sydney handed possession over to Manly on halfway. The Sea Eagles took full advantage, finding some space on the short side as Jake Arthur sent Max Hayley through a gap to close the deficit to two points.
It wasn’t long before the Rabbitohs reclaimed their six-point lead, working the right edge through Talanoa Penitani who fended off his opposite number and flicked the ball out to winger Dane Towns who stepped inside and found a barnstorming Bentley-Hape for his second try of the afternoon.
A long-range kick return from Clayton Faulolo put Manly in attacking territory five minutes away from half-time, with the fullback himself crossing the stripe a few plays later as he broke South’s defensive line with an explosive right-foot step and dove over. Aaron Schoupp’s conversion clanged against the upright to send the sides into the sheds with a 10-8 score line in favour of the Cardinal red and Myrtle green.
Starting the second period off on the wrong foot, South Sydney handed cheap possession over to Manly on halfway yet again before a determined Caleb Navale charged through two defenders and beat Bentley-Hape for pace to score a brilliant try. Schoupp directed the conversion between the sticks from out wide, notching Manly ahead 14-10.
The Bunnies hit back ten minutes later through a slick backline play, with Bentley-Hape firing a cut-out ball to club debutant Max Lehmann, finding Carson Kaho on the inside who crashed over the line. Bentley-Hape converted from out wide to restore the Rabbitohs’ advantage.
But it was their handling that let South Sydney down yet again, with an error coming out of their own end proving costly as Manly debutant Chris Patolo launched himself through the defensive line and threw the opposing fullback off him to plant it down under the sticks. Schoupp converted from in front to put Manly up 20-16.
With under five minutes left on the clock and the game on the line, the visitors probed around Manly’s try line in search of a match winner. They found exactly that, with 18th man Bear Williams crashing over one-out from the ruck and Bentley-Hape converting from in front to seal a hard-fought 22-20 victory for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Talking points
- Both fullbacks shined as Clayton Faulolo and Bayleigh Bentley-Hape dominate the highlight reel with tries and long-ranged breakaways.
- Young halfback Ashton Ward directed traffic for South Sydney with an impressive game-managing performance off the boot in his club debut.
- South Sydney fought until the final minutes to win their first game of the season with seven club debutants in their line-up.
- Veteran Michael Chee Kam returned to Manly’s NSW Cup side after a decade, putting in a strong 80-minute hit out.
Key moment
The nail-biting contest saw four lead changes in the second half alone, with the final one being Bear Williams’ game-winning try. Williams was named as South Sydney’s replacement player for the evening and was activated early in the second half as a high shot from Jake Arthur on Nazareth Taua saw the 19-year-old’s evening finish early. A penalty awarded to the Rabbitohs late in the game allowed them to advance upfield, and Williams charged onto a short ball from the dummy half, finding both the stripe and the winning play for his side.
What’s next?
Both teams will be on the road in Round Two, with Manly travelling to Auckland to take on the Warriors and South Sydney headed to WIN Stadium as they clash with the Dragons.
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