Sea Eagles Triumph Over Bulldogs but Suffer Injury Blow

The Manly Sea Eagles achieved a significant victory over the Bulldogs on Friday night, securing a 34-22 win at Accor Stadium. This result serves as a positive indicator for the Sea Eagles as they approach the finals, although it was marred by an injury to star fullback Tom Trbojevic.

In front of a crowd of 35,502 fans, the Sea Eagles showcased their power as their forwards paved the way for their speedy players to excel. The Bulldogs started strong with an early try by Reed Mahoney, capitalizing on a quick left-side shift just two minutes into the game.

The Sea Eagles responded quickly, and although they initially appeared to score through Haumole Olakau'atu after a bomb, replays later confirmed a knock-on, preventing the try from being awarded.

Trbojevic, who had been performing admirably throughout the match, experienced a painful incident when he attempted to tackle Jacob Preston. His right arm became awkwardly stretched and pinned to the ground after being landed on by teammate Luke Brooks.

Coach Anthony Seibold provided an update after the match, indicating that Trbojevic would miss the upcoming game against the Sharks due to an AC joint injury. However, he expressed confidence that Trbojevic would recover in time for the first week of finals.

The Sea Eagles aim to maintain their momentum and secure a favorable position heading into the finals, currently sitting just one point behind the Bulldogs and Cowboys. The game witnessed a remarkable display from the Sea Eagles, as they effectively exploited the Bulldogs’ league-best defense, which conceded 34 points, a season-high.

Subsequently, the Bulldogs find themselves under pressure regarding their top-four aspirations, especially given the potential of slipping to the seventh position if results do not favor them in the coming matches.