Manly have put on an attacking show to welcome rugby league to Las Vegas, kicking off the NRL season with a 36-24 win over South Sydney.
After trailing 18-12 early in the second half, the Sea Eagles scored 18 points in the space of 12 minutes to run away with the game at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT).
In the city of bright lights and late-night shows, Manly’s 36 points gave them the equal-highest score by a team in a season-opener in nine years.
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The win came despite the best efforts of Souths superstar Latrell Mitchell, who threatened to come good on his promise to turn the Super Bowl venue into Trellegiant Stadium.
After throwing the last pass for a Jacob Gagai try in the first half, the Souths star burst out of the blocks in the second and threatened to take the game with him.
Mitchell gave Souths a 14-10 lead when he took the line on after the break, running through Manly’s defence to score.
Moments later the fullback then provided a quick ball to put Alex Johnston into space, drawing in the Manly defenders with a swift catch and pass to make it 20-10.
But from there, it all fell apart for the Rabbitohs.
Davvy Moale made an error early in the set following the kick off, and Lachlan Croker was able to go from dummy-half to score for Manly.
Richie Kennar then fumbled on the Rabbitohs’ next set, allowing Manly’s superstar Tom Trbojevic to go to the line and put his brother Ben over from close distance.
And when Reuben Garrick pounced on a Daly Cherry-Evans grubber out of dummy-half and celebrated his try with a touchdown imitation, the game was done.
Amid fears of a possible conservative game on a skinnier field, Manly ensured that would not be the case from their first touch when Tom Trbojevic put his outside men into space.
Trbojevic was at it again soon after, scooping up a loose ball and helping Jason Saab run 80 metres before the flying winger was denied by Lachlan Ilias.
Saab was at the centre of another first-half highlight for Americans in the crowd, intercepting a ball from Mitchell to go 60 metres and score.
Haumole Olakau’atu played with great strength, getting Manly’s first try by powering through three Souths defenders off a scrum from 10 metres out.
Luke Brooks also played and ran the ball with confidence in his first game for his new club Manly, dropping a ball over the line in the first half before scoring in the second.
The only concern for Manly was a late hamstring injury for Saab, with the flyer limping up the tunnel late in the final 10 minutes.