The Titans Gold Training under-20s have recorded the club's third highest NYC score against Manly - but surrendered an opportunity for a record winning margin.
The young Titans won 54-24 after leading 54-6 with 25 minutes remaining.
They were in sight of beating the club record win of 46-0 against Parramatta in 20-10. However, they conceded three Manly tries in the last 17 minutes to ease off after an impressive first half-hour.
It was still a good performance by Ben Woolf’s side against the table cellar-dwellers and keeps them in touch with the top eight. They are on 14 points, three behind Newcastle.
The Titans had a great start to the match with left centre Christian Mika scoring in their first set with the ball.
He was put into space by great long offload from skipper Jed Cartwright 10 metres from the line in what was a tremendous first touch or Cartwright who was returning from a month out with injury.
Brian Kelly converted or a 6-0 lead.
The Titans were in again after 11 minutes when a good short ball from five-eighth Josh Rogers put second-rower Kelepi Faukafa in from 10 metres. Brian Kelly again converted for 12-0.
The tries kept coming in quick order in the first half. The next went to right winger Jordan Birch after a bust near halfway. Hooker Jordan Scott did well to back up and change direction twice and bamboozle the Manly fullback before putting Birch away.
Josh Rogers converted and from the set from the kick-off the score went out to 24-0 with right centre Phillip Sami crossing on the right, with Rogers again adding the extras.
Jordan Birch was in for his second when he was on the receiving end of a great offload from prop Simione Fatafehi who made a bust down the left edge. Rogers was again successful from the left touchline to make the score 30-0 after just 26 minutes.
Manly were on the board after 32 minutes when fullback Luca Price stepped through some soft defence close to the Titans line. The try was converted by Tevita Funa.
Birch recorded a first-half treble when he was given an overlap on the left touchline and ran 10 metres unopposed but was injured soon after and failed to return for the second half. Brian Kelly’s goal attempt hit the left upright for the first unsuccessful kick of the match.
The Titans hit the 50-mark when they added four more tries in the first 15 minutes of the second half through Mika, who crossed for his second, AJ Brimson, Kelly and Birch’s replacement David Pritchard.
But that was the end of their scoring and Manly were allowed too much leeway in the final quarter of the match and scored three tries that were all converted.
Gold Training (Birch 3, Mika 2, Faukafa, Sami, Kelly, Brimson, Pritchard tries; Kelly 4, Rogers 3 goals) beat Manly 18 (Cust 2, Price, Ramien tries; Brown 2, Funa goals).
