Manly's Wellington hoodoo continued last week as the Cannons were humbled by their trans-Tasman rivals. In the past four years, Manly have consistently made the finals only to fall short. In 2002 they lost out to both of the eventual grand finalists. In 2002/2003 they were bundled out of the major semi final by eventual winners, New Zealand. In 2003 they met an ignoble end at the hands of their greatest rivals, North Sydney. Could Central Coast end another Manly season in disappointment and keep their finals dream alive?

Manly Cannons Central Coast Falcons
1 Koru Tirohara 1 Robbie O'Davis
2 Mat Rogers 2 Jamaal Lolesi
3 Chev Walker 3 Tony Gonzalez
4 David Kidwell 4 Nigel Vagana
5 Matt Sing 5 Hazem El Masri
6 Stanley Tepend 6 Braith Anasta
7 Stacey Jones 7 Brent Sherwin
8 Courtney Brideson 8 Luke Davico
9 Johnny Lawless 9 Gunter Franz
10 Mark O'Meley 10 Steven Price ©
11 Logan Swann 11 Dean Walker
12 David Lyons 12 Corin Barry
13 Steve Menzies © 13 Travis Norton
++Interchange
14 Grahem Anlezark 14 Terry O'Connor
15 Joe Van Nierkerk 15 Craig Smith
16 Ashton Simms 16 Johnathan Thurston
17 Slick Cupples 17 Reggie Cressbrook

It didn't take long for Manly to start their game in an ideal fashion, Mat Rogers landing a penalty two minutes into the game to make it 2-0 in favour of the Cannons. The opposing forward packs put on a fine display for the big crowd, with Steve Menzies inspirational for his side. With rumours linking the veteran lock to the Central Phoenix, Menzies would no doubt be desperate to win a Grand Final with the club he loves.

Chev Walker made sure Menzies would have the best possible chance to live that dream when he crossed in the 6th minute courtesy of a brilliant Stacey Jones long ball. Mat Rogers was again faultless with the boot, and the Cannons took a solid 8-0 lead early in the match. Central Coast wouldn't be too bothered by the margin however, with their play quite good early on.

They say that the first set of six after you score a try is always crucial, and it proved that way for Manly. A fairly lacklustre set of six was followed by a wobbly Stacey Jones ball that found Robbie O'Davis on the full. The return set from the Falcons collected immediately, Tony Gonzalez chasing through a brilliant Braith Anasta grubber to score the Falcons' first try. El Masri was never in doubt, and the Falcons trailed 8-6. It could have been a 12-8 lead moments after, but referee Tim Mander ruled that Anasta's final pass to put Lolesi over out wide had travelled forward.

Ashton Sims lifted the roof when he sliced through the Falcons' line and looked a certainty to score. Veteran fullback Robbie O'Davis reminded fans he's still one of the greats though, tackling Sims and jarring the ball loose when it looked a foregone conclusion. O'Davis' tackle lifted the Falcons another notch, and Dean Walker was on hand to receive a bat back from Vagana and score a try of his own. The Falcons' kicking game had so far been a key factor in the game, and the Falcons army groaned in disappointment as El Masri missed a relatively easy conversion.

The next few minutes of play saw both sides denied chances to get more points on the board. Manly were twice denied for failing to ground the ball, whilst the Central Coast were denied after Tony Gonzalez shoved Chev Walker off the ball in the lead up to Vagana's claimed try.

Eventually the trend had to break, Nigel Vagana plucking a sloppy Stanley Tepend pass from the air and running downfield with only Koru Tirohara in pursuit. The Kiwi centre was too fast for the Japanese international- and El Masri's conversion made it 16-8. Manly's early 8-0 lead was fast becoming a distant memory. It looked as if the scoreline would remain that way, but Jonathon Thurston came up with a demoralising try ten seconds out. The bench half was on the end of a scintillating passing play- the movement finished off by stepping a tired looking David Kidwell. El Masri converted, and the Falcons were in firm control at 22-8.

HALFTIME: Central Coast 22 lead Manly 8

Manly came out in the second half needing to be the first to score, and for the opening twenty minutes they gave the Falcons a real challenge. While they couldn't get the ball across the line, they shook things up thanks to some memorable play from Stacey Jones, Chev Walker, and Steve Menzies.

It seemed unfair then, when the Falcons came up with another try in the 60th minute. Late call-up Jamaal Lolesi started a promising movement when he stepped around Matt Sing and embarked on a promising downfield run. The ball went across the field and back, before Lolesi finished off the movement he started after collecting a looping Sherwin pass. El Masri rubbed salt into the wounds by landing the difficult conversion, and the Cannons' grand final dream was as good as over at 28-8 twenty out from fulltime.

If the Cannons held any illusions about their chances, Lolesi dispelled them when he crossed for his second only a minute after his first try. A penalty for holding the player down put the Falcons on the attack, and Lolesi muscled his way over despite the attentions of Matt Sing to score. The Falcons had exposed Sing's defensive inadequecies, and El Masri's conversion made it 34-8.

With the game wrapped up, the Falcons dropped into second gear and cruised through the remaining twenty minutes of the match. Manly were clearly disinterested in the match, and failed to make any real impact in the final quarter. Indeed, their only points came when Mark O'Meley scored a soft try only thirty seconds out from fulltime. O'Meley picked up a loose ball and fell over the line to score a late consolation try. The try was converted, and it finished at 34-14. The Falcons would move on to face Gold Coast in next week's preliminary final.

FULLTIME
Central Coast Falcons 34
Jamaal Lolesi 2
Nigel Vagana
Dean Walker
Tony Gonzalez
Jonathon Thurston
El Kebab 5/6
defeated
Manly Cannons 14
Chev Walker
Mark O'Meley
Rogers 3/3

PoM Points
Hazem El Kebab............3
Jamaal Lolesi................2
Steve Menzies...............1

well done magro! you have my support!