Two rounds into the 2026 NRL season and the Manly Sea Eagles already find themselves chasing the competition. Back-to-back losses have left Anthony Seibold’s side winless and searching for rhythm, with the early signs suggesting the club’s transition into a new era may take longer than many expected.

The latest setback came on Sunday at 4 Pines Park, where Manly were beaten 36–16 by the Newcastle Knights. The scoreline told a clear story, Newcastle dominated large stretches of the match and punished Manly’s defensive lapses, particularly in the opening half when the visitors raced out to a commanding lead.

Newcastle made their intentions clear almost immediately. Greg Marzhew crossed for the opening try just two minutes into the game before Dominic Young added another shortly after, giving the Knights a 10–0 lead before Manly had properly settled. The Sea Eagles briefly steadied through Jamal Fogarty and a Tom Trbojevic try, but the momentum quickly swung back Newcastle’s way.

Kalyn Ponga was at the centre of the action. The Knights fullback produced an early try and orchestrated several attacking raids before leaving the field with a hamstring injury midway through the first half. Even after losing their star playmaker, Newcastle continued to find holes in the Manly defence.

By halftime the Knights had surged to a 30–10 lead, leaving the home crowd stunned and the Sea Eagles chasing the game from a long way back. Manly showed brief signs of life after the break when Haumole Olakau’atu crossed, but the contest was effectively over as Newcastle continued to control possession and territory.

The final statistics highlighted the imbalance. The Knights ran for over 1,500 metres compared to Manly’s roughly 1,100 and consistently won the middle of the field, forcing the Sea Eagles into a reactive game for most of the afternoon.

For Manly fans, the frustrating part is that the Knights themselves were dealing with significant disruption. Alongside Ponga’s hamstring injury, halfback Dylan Brown also suffered a knee problem during the match. Yet Newcastle still had too much energy and attacking fluency for the Sea Eagles.

Round 2 followed a similarly disappointing script to Manly’s season opener. In Round 1 the Sea Eagles fell to Canberra in a dramatic golden-point loss after allowing the Raiders to overturn an early deficit and steal the match through a late field goal. That defeat could be written off as a tight contest decided by a single play. Sunday’s performance, however, raised more concerning questions.

The team is still adjusting to life after long-time captain Daly Cherry-Evans, with Jamal Fogarty and Luke Brooks now tasked with steering the side around the park. There were moments where the attack clicked, Fogarty scored and converted twice while Trbojevic also found the try line, but the overall cohesion simply hasn’t been there for extended periods.

Despite the mounting pressure, coach Anthony Seibold has attempted to keep the situation in perspective. After the Knights loss he acknowledged the performance was “well below par,” but insisted the team would not panic after only two rounds of the season.
That message is understandable. The NRL season is long and teams often take several weeks to find their rhythm, particularly when new combinations are still forming. But the early warning signs are there for Manly. Defensive lapses, inconsistent execution and periods where the side struggles to control possession have all been recurring themes across the opening fortnight.

There is also the reality of expectation. With Trbojevic leading the side as captain and a roster containing plenty of experienced forwards, the Sea Eagles entered the year hoping to push toward the top eight. Starting the season 0–2 was never part of the plan. The challenge now is how quickly they can respond. A single win can shift momentum early in the season, but if the Sea Eagles continue to leak points and struggle for control through the middle of the field, the pressure will build quickly. For now, Seibold is preaching patience. But in the NRL, patience rarely lasts long when the wins aren’t coming.