Melbourne Storm vs Manly Sea Eagles - Round 23, 2026
The result
Manly led at halftime 14 to 12 after Brandon Wakeham scored inside four minutes, but Melbourne overran them at HBF Park to close it out 42 to 20. The Sea Eagles never got closer than 2 points after the break.
How it unfolded
Melbourne controlled the ball, completing at 77 percent to Manly's 68, and made more of it too, running for 1357 metres to the Sea Eagles' 1265. Manly still cut through more often, laying on 5 line breaks to the Storm's 4.
Against projection
Oryn Keeley smashed his projection of 28 with 65 points, and Sualauvi Faalogo ran in 3 try assists on the way to 60 against a projection of 44. Cameron Munster fell well short, managing just 28 against a projected 61, while Cooper Clarke was hauled off after 41 minutes despite scoring 49.
Price moves
Joey Walsh's price rose $24,000 after he scored 41 against a break even of 15, and Nick Meaney climbed $15,000 with 39 against a break even of just 17. On the way down, Taniela Paseka fell $38,000 after managing 18 against a break even of 55, while Jason Saab dropped $28,000 having scored 9 against a break even of 37.
Ownership outcome
Haumole Olakau'atu, a name in plenty of squads, delivered 59 in 80 minutes against a projection of 60, holding to expectation rather than lifting it. Jake Simpkin's 36 fell short of his 44 projection, a quieter return for a widely held hooker in a game his side lost after leading at the break.
