“We want to be that hard-working, gritty side from Newcastle, and I reckon all of our supporters will be really proud of that,” Holbrook said.
“Obviously to lose our two strike weapons, and I thought our attack was brilliant while they were on the field … But [a 43rd-minute Haumole Olakau’atu four-pointer] was the only try we conceded. A lot of self-belief comes of that.”
Dylan Brown injured his knee during Newcastle’s round two clash with Manly.Credit: NRL Photos
In picturesque autumn sunshine and with points aplenty to match, Manly had ample time to reel in Newcastle’s lead. With strike weapons Trbojevic, Tolu Koula and Olakau’atu, they had the players to do it too.
But repeated handling errors – the Sea Eagles made 15 mistakes in all – meant they had no right to.
Two Luke Brooks kick-off fumbles, multiple knock-ons on play one, a scrum penalty for offside and Reuben Garrick playing the ball to no-one after a long break, allowing Newcastle to pinch possession, made for a miserable Manly afternoon.
The Garrick blunder was the final straw for numerous supporters as they then made an early exit.
The Sea Eagles are winless from two home games under Anthony Seibold this season, with the spotlight and pressure only set to increase on their coach after last year’s bottom-eight finish.
“We were way below the mark of what we expected of ourselves,” Seibold said.
“We didn’t give ourselves a chance execution-wise and we missed the mark with our contact and the physical part of it today. No one ever means to make an error, right? But our ability to then show resolve off the back of that is what we’re searching for.”
Manly will review Sunday’s clash before giving players their RLPA-mandated three days off in a bye week, with Seibold stressing that their poor start to the year won’t “panic or change our schedule.”
The Sea Eagles’ next outing in round four is once again at Brookvale and will be one of the most anticipated clashes of the season, given former captain Daly Cherry-Evans returns as a Rooster for the first time.
“The really good teams in the competition win at 60 per cent, the good teams win at 50 per cent, and so there’s another 22 games to go,” Seibold said.
“We need to show far more improvement than what we showed today. But I’ve got a lot of faith in the group. That doesn’t change. But we were well beaten today, so you’ve got to own that and work out why.”
Tabuai-Fidow engineers Dolphins great-escape win
The magic of Dolphins superstar Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow conjured a get-out-of-jail 18-14 comeback win over a brave Gold Coast outfit.
The talismanic fullback lived up to his “Hammer” moniker with a sensational try from an Isaiaya Katoa bomb and a scintillating run from his own quarter to set up another.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.Credit: Getty Images
The Dolphins trailed 14-0 at Suncorp Stadium and were going nowhere before a Titans mistake opened the door.
A tap back by Titans centre Phil Sami from a line dropout went straight to Dolphins forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, who got his side’s first try in the 53rd minute.
Tabuai-Fidow’s scintillating 60m run led to centre Jake Averillo scoring in the 68th minute. The Dolphins’ match-winner then sealed victory with his flying leap as only he can.
The Dolphins, who lost Queensland prop Thomas Flegler in the 22nd minute to a rib injury, were fortunate to win this one.
The Titans, courtesy of a Jojo Fifita try, led 8-0 at half-time after a mistake-ridden display by the hosts.
This was the 74th match played by the Dolphins in their short history, and their first-half performance was by far the worst they have dished up.
Their 11 errors and 60 per cent completion rate told the tale.
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The Titans had nothing thrown at them but they defended well, considering in the previous week’s 50-10 loss to Cronulla they had trailed 34-0 at half-time.
The standard of play in the opening half had to be seen to be believed. The Dolphins were shocking, making an assortment of errors, and the visitors did not have the class to put them away.
The Dolphins kept inviting the Titans into it and another bumbling mistake, this time by second-rower Connelly Lemuelu, led to Titans centre Fifita scoring in the corner.
Winger Sialetili Faeamani got over the line on the cusp of half-time, but a try-saver by Dolphins duo Tabuai-Fidow and Herbie Farnworth denied the rookie.
Comical goal-line defence by the Dolphins allowed barnstorming Titans forward Cooper Bai to run through a hole a convoy of trucks could have driven through to open the second half and give the Titans a 14-0 lead.
A brilliant try-saver by Titans fullback Keano Kini denied Dolphins winger Jamayne Isaako in a sign of his absolute commitment.
It was then that the Dolphins clicked into gear with three tries in 20 minutes to clinch their great escape.
AAP