Mark down Sunday, August 5, as the day Manly dodged a rugby league bullet via a ‘lucky’ Daly Cherry-Evans field goal.
The Sea Eagles’ courageous 33-32 golden point win over Cronulla should give them enough breathing space to avoid the wooden spoon for the first time in the club’s 71-year history.
While there are still four rounds to play, Manly sit two points ahead of last-placed Parramatta and enjoy a comfortable for and against advantage.
MORE: Daly Cherry-Evans seals shock upset win with wrong-foot golden point field goal
Aside from a huge loss to the Roosters, Trent Barrett’s men have beaten Cronulla and pushed finals-bound Penrith and Melbourne over the past month.
The Sea Eagles meet Canterbury, Gold Coast, Wests Tigers and Brisbane in the run home and are confident of jagging the extra one or two wins that will keep them off the bottom.
“It pushes us further up the ladder to where we need to be and where we want to be at the back-end of the year,” Barrett said after Manly kept up its remarkable hold over Cronulla.
“It has been difficult (this season) and it has been hard on everyone but we’ve just got to aim up and win again next week.
“I never had any doubt about that (spirit and courage) with the players we’ve got.”
In a match punctuated by a heavy penalty count, the Sharks looked to have done enough after opening up a six-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
But a missed penalty goal attempt by Val Holmes in the 71st minutes kept the visitors in the hunt and they capitalised.
A converted try to Joel Thompson levelled things up at 32-all before DCE iced the game with a left-foot field goal in the second minute of golden point.
He had earlier missed a simpler shot at the end of normal time.
“It was pretty lucky. I was disappointed I missed the first one in regulation time so it was nice to get a second chance,” Cherry-Evans said.
“Often in rugby league you don’t get a second chance.”
The Sharks had two tries disallowed for obstruction but coach Shane Flanagan had no complaints.
The defeat could badly damage Cronulla’s top four bid.
“Attention to detail on our behalf was poor. They were no tries by the letter of the law,” Flanagan conceded
“We shouldn’t have allowed them to score 33 points. Good luck to them. They deserved to win.
“People might perceive they’ve got nothing to play for but they’ve got plenty to play for.
“They’re dangerous when they’re in that mood.
“You win your next four games and you’re a chance (of making the top four) but if we play like that we’re not going to win our next four games.”
Skipper Paul Gallen added: “It was a big loss for us. “It’s (the revival) got to start this week.”