Steam-rolled Manly are set to be further decimated for next week’s elimination final, with stars Anthony Watmough, Jamie Lyon and Kieran Foran all at the mercy of the NRL match review committee following Friday night’s crushing playoff loss to South Sydney.
Rookie hooker Jayden Hodges also appears to be in grave doubt for the second week of the finals after leaving Allianz Stadium in an ambulance for scans on a neck injury.
On a live feed of Channel Nine’s coverage which went overseas, respected commentator and Manly assistant coach Andrew Johns was heard joking off camera: “Mate they can start preparing for next year”, when asked at halftime by his co-commentators what the Sea Eagles could do to turn their fortunes around.
Johns’s comment was made in pure jest, but the league immortal may well be right if the star trio join Manly’s ever-growing list of unavailable players.
Already missing State of Origin forwards Matt Ballin, Glenn Stewart and Jamie Buhrer, Manly would struggle to field an NRL-standard pack for next week’s sudden-death clash against either Melbourne or Canterbury if Watmough and Hodges are sidelined.
On-air, Johns said Ballin (fractured leg) was little chance for next week and coach Geoff Toovey would need to conjure something special.
“(Ballin) would be racing the clock… it’s going to need a huge effort from Geoff Toovey to get his troops back up.”
As if the Sea Eagles’ 40-24 belting on the scoreboard and demolition by the Rabbitohs forwards wasn’t bad enough, there was plenty of controversy surrounding the Manly performance.
Young No.9 Hodges looked in serious trouble with a head knock suffered early in the match, but despite staying down for several minutes he remained on the field.
Even if there was no concussion involved, the fact Hodges was sent to hospital at halftime on a stretcher suggests he shouldn’t have played on with neck and shoulder discomfort.
Meanwhile, Watmough and Lyon face an anxious wait after putting Souths’ fullback Greg Inglis into a dangerous position, given the hard-line attitude the NRL judiciary has been taking to lifting tackles.
The two stars each had hold of one of Inglis’s legs, with Watmough appearing to be the worst offender, with his hands between the Rabbitoh ace’s legs.
Lyon argued that Inglis created the dangerous situation by diving towards the ground.
It’s an allegation that Manly first made against Inglis last year, and one he and the Rabbitohs didn’t take well.
Foran was placed on report for a second-half high tackle on Isaac Luke.
Stewart and Buhrer are both out for the season.
Without Ballin, Hodges and Buhrer, Manly’s hooking stocks are almost completely bare.
