​Parramatta cause upset to leave Manly hanging on by a thread

Given next to no hope of coming away with a win, Parramata have upset Manly by 20-16 to leave the Sea Eagles in a precarious position heading into the final two rounds.

In a game the Sea Eagles were expected to account for with ease, both sides produced abysmal ball control due to terrible conditions at Brookvale Oval.

Adding to the Sea Eagles woes is a potentially season-ending knee injury to Matt Ballin. After coming back onto the field early in the second half, the Manly hooker's knee collapsed without being involved in a tackle; while the full-extent of the injury is unknown, it is likely to keep him out for the remainder of 2015.

Parramatta were first to open the scoring following a great attacking raid down the left side, resulting in Semi Radradra crossing out wide.

Having withstood a barrage from the Eels throughout the opening 20 minutes, the Sea Eagles responded through Steve Matai, who became only the fourth Manly player to score 50 tries at Brookvale Oval.

Only minutes later, Radradra was in for his second after stand-in captain Corey Norman delivered a superb cut-out pass to send the Fijian flyer over for his 21st try in just 16 games this season.

Just before halftime, Manly winger Peta Hiku was able to break free from several Parramatta defenders to touch down in the right corner, but only moments later Manu Ma'u barged over from close range to give the visitors a 14-10 lead at the change of ends.

Only moments into the second half, the Eels extended their lead through Bureta Faraimo who was able to burrow over from dummy half to give Parramatta a ten-point lead.

After a lengthy delay following Matt Ballin's injury, the Sea Eagles produced a remarkable try through interchange forward James Hasson; latching onto a loose Parramatta pass, Hasson toed the ball ahead to narrow the margin to 20-16.

With neither side able to play to the conditions, a plethora of errors dominated the remainder of the match resulting in the Eels outlasting the Sea Eagles in front of a dejected Brookvale Oval crowd of 11,018.

Following the loss, Manly will need to win their remaining matches over the Roosters and Sharks, as well as hoping for the Dragons or Bulldogs to lose in their final two games.

Next week the Sea Eagles face off against the Roosters on Friday night in a match which will determine their fate, while the Eels will be hoping to throw a spanner into the Sharks top four aspirations at Pirtek Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Match Details

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 16 Parramatta Eels 20
Venue: Brookvale Oval
Crowd: 11018
Halftime Score: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 10 Parramatta Eels 14

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (16)
Tries: Steve Matai, Peta Hiku, James Hasson
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (2/3)

PARRAMATTA EELS (20)
Tries: Semi Radradra (2), Manu Ma'u, Bureta Faraimo
Conversions: Luke Kelly (2/4)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Semi Radradra
2 points - Manu Ma'u
1 point - Kieran Foran

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Welcome to League Unlimited's coverage of Round 24 Sunday Afternoon Football between Manly Sea Eagles and Parramatta Eels at Brookvale Oval.

The Sea Eagles have retained the same squad that pulled off a last-ditch victory over Canberra last week, with Ligi Sao to start ahead of Josh Starling.

Parramatta will be without regular captain Tim Mannah; Darcy Lussick will start in the front row, Joseph Paulo comes onto the bench. Corey Norman will captain the side for the first time in his career.

The last time these two sides met was in Round 1 when Parramatta pulled off an emphatic 42-12 victory at Pirtek Stadium. On that night Semi Radradra crossed for a hat-trick, while Junior Paulo copped a nine-match suspension for a dangerous throw on Matt Ballin.

With the Dragons coming away with a win on Thursday night, Manly will need to win to keep their finals aspirations alive. Coming up against the Roosters and Sharks in the next fortnight, the Sea Eagles will know the importance of today's match if they want to keep their decade-long finals run intact.

Parramatta come onto Brookvale Oval, led out by Corey Norman for the first time.

Manly onto the park, they'll receive the kickoff.

Ligi Sao takes the first run of the afternoon.

1: Reece Robinson is driven back by the Manly chasers 25 out from the Parramatta line.

2: Celebrating his 200th NRL game, Feleti Mateo takes the Sea Eagles out of their own end.

2: Jake Trbojevic coughs up possession, the Eels will start a set inside Manly's 30 metre zone.

3: Kieran Foran is trapped in-goal. Line drop out.

4: Radradra cut down short of the line and subsequently loses the ball.

6: Jorge Taufua kicks the ball dead to prevent Bureta Faraimo from scoring. Another line drop out to come.

7: Luke Kelly aims a cross field bomb for Bureta Faraimo; after some enterprising passing from the Eels, a forward pass lets the Sea Eagles off the hook.

9: Luke Kelly puts the ball into touch 20 metres out from the Sea Eagles line.

10: Mateo loses the ball. The Sea Eagles are finding the Eels intensity off-putting early on.

11: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Semi Radradra. Kick to come.
He did it in the opening round, and he's done it again. Semi Radradra finishes a great left-side raid to score the opening try from a scrum.

11: That draws him level with Curtis Rona on 20 tries.

12: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Luke Kelly successful.
From the sideline, Kelly adds the extras. Parramatta 6-0.

13: Parramatta full of running early on. Manly will need to keep the pace with the Eels or their finals hopes may be in tatters.

14: Cherry-Evans kicks the ball dead. The Eels will get a 7-tackle set.

16: Manly get a relieving penalty coming out of their own end.

16: James Hasson on, Jake Trbojevic off.

17: Jorge Taufua kicks back in field after making a bust, but the Eels are able to get to the ball first.

18: Darcy Lussick makes a big shot on James Hasson on halfway.

18: Reece Robinson is able to get out of the in-goal before Jorge Taufua tackles him.

19: Manly have made twice as many tackles in this opening quarter.

20: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Steve Matai. Kick to come.
Great work by Kieran Foran to take on the line before linking up with Steve Matai.

20: That's Matai's 50th try at Brookvale Oval. He's just the fourth player in Manly history to reach the feat.

21: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
From in-front, Lyon levels the scores.

23: Peta Hiku drags down Semi Radradra as the big Fijian looked to make a break.

23: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Semi Radradra. Kick to come.
Great cut-out pass from Corey Norman to put Radrarda over for his second.

25: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Luke Kelly unsuccessful.
Kelly pushes the kick left. Eels 10-6.

24: Matt Ballin is being escorted off the field. That would be a major blow for the Sea Eagles to lose their hooker without a ready-made replacement on the bench.

25: Expect either Mateo, Horo or Leary to fill in at hooker.

26: Corey Norman puts the ball out on the full. Manly get a chance on halfway.

27: Blake Leary appears to be filling in at hooker.

27: Ryan Morgan pounces on a loose Manly pass.

28: Matai drags down Hopoate 40 metres out.

28: Peta Hiku gets a penalty for being tackled without the ball by Manu Ma'u.

29: Josh Starling takes a charge into the Parramatta defence.

30: Cherry-Evans hoists the ball into the air, but it proves to be little issue for Semi Radradra.

30: The Eels come up with a terrible error allowing the Sea Eagles to start a set from 20 metres out.

32: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Peta Hiku. Kick to come.
Cherry-Evans responds to Corey Norman's pass to put Hiku over for a try. Great work from the Kiwi winger to break off the Eels defenders. 10-all KTC.

33: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon unsuccessful.
From the right touchline, Lyon can't get the ball to fade back. No goal.

34: Geoff Toovey can't believe his eyes - Josh Starling drops the ball 10 metres out.

34: Terepo and Alvaro on for Parramatta.

35: Kelly bombs for Radradra, but Manly have the big Fijian well-covered.

36: Parramatta draw a penalty just short of halfway.

37: Manu Ma'u has crashed over, but the referees want to check for an obstruction.

37: The Sea Eagles expected the ball to go out to Radradra, but Reece Robinson delivers a great inside pass to create a hole for Ma'u.

37: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Manu Ma'u. Kick to come.
Parramatta take back the lead.

38: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Luke Kelly unsuccessful.
From close to the posts, Kelly misses his easiest kick of the day.

39: Every Parramatta fans favourite player is on - Joseph Paulo.

40: Manly get a penalty on their own line.

40: Kieran Foran is trapped by his future teammates 40 metres out.

40: Parramatta have performed better in the first half, but the Sea Eagles are close enough to pull of a win if they can improve in the second half.

40: Manly about to get the second half underway.

40: Terepo takes the first run.

40: Isaac De Gois draws a penalty 40 metres out from his own line.

42: TRY PARRAMATTA EELS
Scored by Bureta Faraimo. Kick to come.
Out of dummy half, the American international burrows over to score.

43: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PARRAMATTA EELS
Conversion attempt by Luke Kelly successful.
From the touchline, Kelly puts the Eels out by 10.

44: Corey Norman bombs, but Peta Hiku is able to take the ball 20 metres out.

45: Matt Ballin is back on for the Sea Eagles.

45: Radradra comes up with a great catch.

45: Ballin is down, his knee has just collapsed. The Manly trainers are calling for the stretcher. This is terrible for the Sea Eagles.

45: Ballin is being escorted off, but fortunately he is able to walk off.

45: What just happened! James Hasson latches onto a Parramatta error and looks to have scored.

45: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by James Hasson. Kick to come.
What a crazy series of events. Hasson scores against the club he is set to join in 2016.

46: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon converts. That may be the shot in the arm Manly need to get back in the game.

46: Trbojevic makes a 40 metre bust off the kickoff.

47: Foran bombs, the ball bounces and the Sea Eagles get a repeat set.

48: Now Radradra is down injured.

48: Radradra is back on his feet. Manly play on.

48: Trbojevic makes a mistake. Parramatta get off the hook.

49: Now Terepo has made an error.

49: The ball handling on Thursday night was fairly abysmal, but not to be outdone both Manly and Parramatta are doing their best to beat it.

50: Cherry-Evans kicks the ball dead. Parramatta will need to get through this set, they can't keep giving Manly opportunities.

52: Peta Hiku knocks on trying to contest a bomb; Parramatta will get a scrum 10 metres out.

53: Junior Paulo can't latch onto a Corey Norman pass.

54: Cherry-Evans loses the ball just over halfway.

55: The conditions aren't helping either side, but the ball control has been terrible in the second half.

56: Steve Matai overruns a Cherry-Evans kick which hits the goal posts.Has the ball held up, Manly would've scored for sure.

57: Joseph Paulo joins the growing list of players to make a mistake.

57: Josh Starling gets a penalty from right in-front of the posts.

58: Parramatta are penalised for not being square at marker.

59: Radradra prevents Brett Stewart from getting over the line.

59: Blake Leary is only a metre from the line and in trying to play the ball comes up with a mistake.

61: Luke Kelly kicks inside the Eels 40 zone, the ball falls short of the dead ball line and Jorge Taufua is able to make a huge run over halfway.

62: Brett Stewart delivers a cut-out pass to Jorge Taufua, but in trying to get the ball back in field the Manly winger throws the ball forward.

63: Kelly looks for a 40/20, but somehow Brett Stewart is able to keep the ball in-field.

64: Cherry-Evans throws a forward pass intended for Jamie Lyon. Parramatta will get an opportunity to extend the lead.

65: Norman kicks behind the Manly defence, but Hiku looks to have forced the ball dead before Semi Radradra.

66: Manly get off the hook - Radradra deemed to have knocked on in-goal.

67: Jamie Lyon throws a pass which goes to ground; Parramatta come up with possession.

67: Ryan Morgan makes a mistake just short of halfway.

68: On the second tackle, Manly make an error.

69: Radradra almost gets into space, but the Sea Eagles are able to pull him down.

69: Will Hopoate can't grab ahold of Luke Kelly's chip-bomb - Manly with another chance to come up with a mistake.

70: Matai draws a penalty. DCE finds touch 25 out from the Eels line.

71: On the last tackle, DCE kicks for Taufua but the ball goes out. Parramatta scrum.

72: Daniel Alvaro gets a penalty after high contact from Michael Chee Kam.

74: Ryan Morgan can't hold onto a Reece Robinson pass close to the tryline.

75: Cherry-Evans kicks for Robinson who is taken 20 metres out from the Parramatta line.

76: Kelly finds touch 30 metres out. Manly have four minutes to keep their season alive.

77: Will Hopoate dives on a woeful Manly pass.

77: The Eels can wrap the game up in this set if they can hold the ball.

77: Parramatta will get another chance following a Manly knock-on.

78: On the last tackle, Robinson knocks on. Manly survive, but they have to score in the next 120 seconds.

78: Manly will get a scrum after Will Hopoate knocks the ball on.

79: Jamie Lyon over halfway.

80: Matai knocks on. Parramatta will win.

80: Parramatta have pulled off a win in one of the worst displays of ball control in recent seasons.