Dragons flog Manly in bizarre NRL clash

St George Illawarra repelled what threatened to be the biggest comeback in NRL history before running rampant in a 52-22 flogging of Manly that reignited the Dragons’ finals charge.

After the Dragons created the biggest half-time lead of the season at 30-0, Manly scored four tries in the first 16 minutes after the break to reduce the margin to eight.

Incredibly, three of the Sea Eagles’ tries came while they were down to 12 men after prop Darcy Lussick was sin-binned for punching Dragons lock Jack de Belin.

The firebrand Manly prop was also put on report for a possible headbutt.

But when Nene Macdonald leapt high to mark a Daly Cherry-Evans kick and claim a seven-tackle set, the match swung back in the Dragons’ favour.

Paul Vaughan barged over in the following set, before Jason Nightingale, Euan Aitken and debutant Matt Dufty helped the Dragons become the first team to pass 50 points this year.

Without injured fullback Josh Dugan, the victory kept the Saints one win ahead of ninth-placed Penrith but now well clear of the chasing pack on for-and-against.

Manly dropped to sixth, with their top-four hopes in serious strife given they face Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters in the next fortnight.

It also marked the first time the Sea Eagles have conceded 50 since August 2005.

Halves Josh McCrone and Gareth Widdop were electric for the Dragons in the first half, while Dufty was always dangerous at fullback.

McCrone twice kicked for tries to Nightingale and Aitken early, while Widdop also set up two and intercepted a Cherry-Evans pass to run 90 metres and score.

It capped off a difficult opening half for the Manly No.7 after coach Trent Barrett rested his halves partner Blake Green and prop Brenton Lawrence.

However he played a key role in Manly’s second-half fightback, as Akuila Uate, Dylan Walker and Jake Trbojevic all crossed before debutant Joey Lussick darted over from dummy-half.

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