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Manly have sounded an early NRL premiership warning, blowing apart North Queensland with a 42-12 thrashing at Brookvale. Two days after Brisbane beat the Sydney Roosters by 36 points in their first-up title statement, Manly echoed that treatment on Saturday night. Where once Des Hasler wanted Manly to fly under the radar at Brookvale, the Sea Eagles smashed it in the first 11 minutes of their season against the Cowboys. They took a 16-0 lead in that opening period, at one stage running in three tries without the Cowboys touching the ball. Cooper Cronk labelled it the best round-one performance he'd seen in Fox's commentary, predicting Manly would lead the NRL after two rounds based on their early-season draw. "People might start to talk a bit more about us because of the result, but ultimately that doesn't matter," evergreen Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans said. "It's nice to get the season off to a great start, but that's all it is. It doesn't guarantee anything later in the season. You've still got to make your way. "But it was a great foundation laid by most of the team tonight, and you've got to be proud of that."?p> The Sea Eagles had been considered the dark horses of the pre-season, with enough attacking threats to challenge the NRL's best teams. And that was the clearly case on Saturday, against a Cowboys side who also reached the second week of the finals last year. Fullback Tom Trbojevic was at his damaging best while fit and firing, while Haumole Olakau'atu and Cherry-Evans joined him in terrorising the Cowboys' right edge. Coming off a rare injury-free pre-season, Trbojevic finished the night with a hand in four tries. Twice he broke into space from inside his own half, with Ethan Bullemore and Reuben Garrick capitalising with four-pointers. RELENTLESS ?? #NRLManlyCowboys Telstra Moment of the Match. pic.twitter.com/wuwYDQizfk ?NRL (@NRL) March 8, 2025 Olakau'atu set the tone when he charged onto a Cherry-Evans pass and beat Jaxon Purdue for the Sea Eagles' first try, before busting five tackles for the night. And while Manly's middles also steamrolled the Cowboys, with Taniela Paseka particularly dominant, it was Lehi Hopoate who came up with the play of the night. Leaping high to take a Cherry-Evans bomb from the clutches of Scott Drinkwater, the 20-year-old then flicked the ball out the back for Ben Trbojevic to score. Hopoate has made a habit of pulling off similar feats since his debut last season, and while he is Manly's future No.1 he looms as an X-factor on the wing for now. Manly ran in seven tries for the night, with all coming in the first 57 minutes, before the Sea Eagles put the cue in the rack when up 42-0. In contrast, it was a nightmare start to the season for Todd Payten's Cowboys, who looked stunned from the start of Manly's opening onslaught. While their left edge was torn apart defensively, they spent the night playing catch-up football in attack during a tough debut for 21-year-old halfback Thomas Duffy. After being forced to wait 32 minutes for an attacking set in good ball, too many chances either ended with passes going into touch or the hands of Manly players. The Cowboys' only points came in the final 10 minutes, when Drinkwater and Braidon Burns put on long-range efforts to lower the margin. "Some of our individuals were off the mark," Payten said. "We gave away some dumb penalties. Possession for the first 30 minutes was 70 per cent to them. At half time we'd made 100 more tackles. "We had two good-ball kicks that we gave away seven-tackle sets. We were just unable to find any rhythm or build pressure." 03-09-25 0244