So Sad To Hear: Captain Daly Cherry-Evans Has Been Suspended For……….read more.

Good news for Manly fans at last. After enduring two consecutive losses and another hamstring injury for Tom Trbojevic, Sea Eagles supporters can celebrate the end of a frustrating period. The last NRL game between Brisbane and Manly at Brookvale Oval saw Geoff Toovey as the Sea Eagles coach, Jamie Lyon as captain, and Brett Stewart scoring his usual try.

 

That game was a long time ago, in 2014, due to a deal by Manly’s management to move the next eight years of “home” games against Brisbane to Suncorp Stadium. While financially sensible at the time, this decision has been a source of frustration for Sea Eagles fans.

Manly’s arrangement to play “home” games at Suncorp Stadium is ending after the NRL’s Magic Round. Heading into another “home” game against the Broncos at Suncorp on Friday night, Manly’s record since relinquishing their hosting rights stands at 2-5. The upcoming Magic Round clash marks the final instance of this arrangement.

Manly CEO Tony Mestrov explained to Yahoo Sport Australia, “Moving this home game to Brisbane made good financial sense and helped the club through tough times. However, no one at Manly would willingly give up playing at Brookvale. Now, we’re in a better position to shape our future, and playing a home game at Suncorp Stadium is not part of it. While the deal brought financial benefits, it’s a huge disadvantage to play a strong team like the Broncos on their home turf instead of at 4 Pines Park.”

Mestrov emphasized the strong home ground support this season, with several 15,000-plus crowds, showing fans’ dedication to Brookvale. “Our fans have been outstanding, supporting the team in large numbers at home,” he said. “We will re-evaluate our home fixture list to give the team every advantage while considering the club’s commercial situation.”