The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles faced a tough 26-18 defeat against the North Sydney Bears in Round 5 of the NSW Cup on Saturday.
Sea Eagles half-back Joey Walsh showcased his skills early, scoring a try from a grubber kick, giving Manly a 4-0 lead within the first 10 minutes.
However, the Bears responded quickly; Thomas Streadman leveled the match at 4-all after catching Manly's defense on the back foot.
North Sydney took the lead when winger Abiarthur Toi Tuilaepa exploited a gap on Manly's left, crossing for an 8-4 advantage just before halftime.
Manly headed into the break trailing by four, struggling with turnovers and penalties that placed their defense under significant pressure.
After halftime, the Sea Eagles regrouped, with Hugo Hart scoring a try out wide, drawing the match level at 8-all.
Nonetheless, North Sydney regained control as Ammaron Gudgeon scored in the corner, stretching their lead to 12-8.
By the 57th minute, the Bears extended their advantage to 18-8 when Josh Cook crossed the line, helped by Coby Thomas's offload.