Manly coach Kieran Foran has apologised to the club's fans and questioned his team's hardness after they conceded 42 consecutive points in a 42-20 loss to Melbourne in Perth on Saturday.
The Sea Eagles started strongly, scoring the opening two tries to lead 14-0 within 26 minutes, but the Storm responded with six unanswered tries either side of halftime to completely turn the match around.
Finals Hopes on Life Support
Manly's fifth straight loss leaves their finals hopes hanging by a thread. With a 9-11 record, they must win all of their remaining four games to have a realistic chance of making the postseason.
Adding to their woes, prop Taniela Paseka limped off in the first half with a suspected MCL injury.
Foran's Frustration
Foran was at a loss to explain his team's lack of intensity, especially after such a promising start. "We can't explain it. I just don't feel that there's a real hard edge about our approach to our footy at the moment," he said.
"You know, 14-0 up, you should be in control of that game of footy. You should be able to put the foot on the throat and maintain a level of control."
He expressed deep regret for the supporters: "I feel very, very sorry to our fans. We had a lot to play for today. There was a lot on the line. There was good reason to turn up and put in a really good performance. And after about the half an hour mark, that just wasn't good enough."
Storm's Revival
Melbourne snapped a three-game losing streak, but at 9-12 they still need to win their remaining three games and hope other results go their way to sneak into the finals.
Nick Meaney was flawless with the boot, landing nine-of-nine conversions in a venue he will soon call home. The centre joins Perth next season, and many Bears fans were present to see their future star.
Perth coach Mal Meninga led about 1,000 supporters on a pre-match 'Bear Walk' in the rain to HBF Park, signalling the venue's future as a 'Bear Pit'. The NRL's newest franchise launched their home jersey on Friday, a red-and-black hooped design paying tribute to the 1908 North Sydney Bears.
Turning Point
Manly's early tries came from Brandon Wakeham and Tolutau Koula, but the Storm struck twice in the final six minutes of the first half to change the game's momentum. Sualauvi Faalogo's perfectly-weighted chip set up Tyran Wishart's try, and Hayden Watson scored his first NRL try to cut the lead to two points at halftime.
The second half was one-sided as Oryn Keeley, Faalogo, Moses Leo, and Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown all breached Manly's defence. Blake Wilson scored a consolation try with under three minutes left, but it did little to ease the disappointment.
