Sea Eagles regain top spot

Manly has overcome a spirited challenge from Newcastle to move back to the top of the NRL ladder with a grinding 28-12 victory at Bluetongue Stadium.

After a slow start the Knights took it right up to their opponents and after trailing 10-8 at the break looked likely to be the first team to score after the resumption, but the Sea Eagles shrugged off some earlier injury concerns to win running away.

With only Brett Stewart missing ahead of next week's Origin decider, in contrast to the absences of Newcastle stars Danny Buderus, Kurt Gidley and Ben Cross, Manly was expected to dominate the contest.

But after losing Luke Williamson with a cheekbone worry and with Anthony Watmough (ankle) and Steve Matai (wrist) battling ailments of their own early, it wasn't until midway through the second 40 minutes that the Sea Eagles took control.

Manly struck first in just the fourth minute when a bomb from Jamie Lyon was caught by Michael Robertson, who fired the ball out for Glenn Stewart to send winger David Williams over, and Matt Orford converted for 6-0.

The Sea Eagles looked to be in again when a repeat set resulted in Watmough steaming through the defence and then stumbling, with his momentum seeing him slide over but the try was disallowed because he lost a handle on the ball.

Williamson was forced off on the quarter-hour mark after running at the defence and copping a knock to the face, and the Knights hit back in the 22nd minute through Cooper Vuna after Danny Wicks sparked a second-phase play.

Wes Naiqama narrowly missed the conversion but Brent Kite went on report for a high shot in the 25th minute, a week after pleading guilty to a careless high tackle, and a couple of minutes later an error from Watmough resulted in Keith Lulia supplying a short ball for James McManus to put the Knights ahead 8-6.

Naiqama again just missed the extras and on the kick-off he dropped the ball, allowing Matt Ballin and Orford to get involved in the next possession before veteran Steve Menzies sent Matai over for 10-8.

The Knights seemed more likely to score first after the interval but an inside ball from Menzies led to a break from Matai, who sprinted past one defender and then fended off McManus, allowing the supporting Watmough to score, with Orford making it 16-8.

The game was all but over just before the midway point of the second half when Orford held the ball up just long enough before throwing an inside pass for Lyon to crash over, and then converted for a 22-8 advantage.

Moments later and the result was put beyond doubt when Glenn Stewart sent Steve Bell through a gap to score under the posts, but there was some late joy for the Knights when Jarrod Mullen's kick led to a break before Scott Dureau chipped for McManus to score.

Manly Sea Eagles 28
Tries: Williams, Matai, Watmough, Lyon, Bell
Conversion: Orford 4

Newcastle Knights 12
Tries: McManus 2, Vuna

Sportal's NRL Player of the Year:
3 - Glenn Stewart (Sea Eagles)
2 - Jamie Lyon (Sea Eagles)
1 - Matt Hilder (Knights)