2009 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles season

The 2009 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles season was the 60th in the club's history. They competed in the National Rugby League's 2009 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season the 5th (out of 16). The Sea Eagles were then knocked out in the first week of the play-offs by eventual premiers, the Melbourne Storm.

Season summary

As 2008 NRL premiers, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles started their new season with the 2009 World Club Challenge match in England against Super League's 2008 champions, the Leeds Rhinos. They defeated the Rhinos 28 - 20, putting an end to England club football's 5-year hold on the World Club Challenge trophy before preparing for the start of the 2009 NRL season.

Sea Eagles star player Brett Stewart was accused of a sexual assault with a 17-year-old girl, this coming the same day after Manly's infamous season launch on 6 March, where it was believed Stewart got drunk. The NRL suspended Stewart until Round 5 of the competition, but he was still allowed to train with the club. As a result, the club started their premiership defence poorly, with four consecutive losses seeing them at last place after round four. They won their fifth round match so they were the last team to record their first win of the season, against the Wests Tigers. Upon Stewart's return he scored 3 tries in the Sea Eagles' first win of the season. Stewart was exonerated over his sexual assault charge in September 2010.

Stewart only played four further matches in the 2009 season; he suffered a knee injury in the Sea Eagles' round six victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs and missed a great deal of football. He returned in round 25, just in time for Manly's charge to the finals; after the Sea eagles initially struggled without him on the field. Manly were eliminated in the first round of finals, going down 40-12 to the Melbourne Storm at Etihad Stadium despite finishing fifth at the end of the regular season. Losses to two of the top three teams were the reasons for Manly's early exit, ending their premiership defence in disappointment.

2009 Squad

No. Position Player
Australia FE Chris Bailey
Australia HK Matt Ballin
Australia WG Ben Farrar
Australia SR Adam Cuthbertson
New Zealand FE Kieran Foran
Australia RE Glenn Hall
Australia HB Trent Hodkinson
Tonga FB Will Hopoate
Australia PR Jason King
Australia PR Brent Kite
Australia RE Heath L'Estrange
Australia SR Jake Lingard
Australia FE Jamie Lyon
New Zealand CE Steve Matai
No. Position Player
Australia SR Vic Mauro
Australia SR Phil Morwood
Australia CE Shane Neumann
Australia HB Matt Orford
New Zealand CE Junior Paulo
Australia PR Josh Perry
Australia WG Michael Robertson
Australia SR Shane Rodney
Australia PR George Rose
Australia FB Brett Stewart
Australia SR Glenn Stewart
American Samoa WG Andrew Suniula
New Zealand SR Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Australia SR Anthony Watmough
Australia WG David Williams
Tonga WG Tony Williams

Table

Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 St. George Illawarra 2417072548329+21938
2 Bulldogs 2418062575428+14738*
3 Gold Coast 2416082514467+4736
4 Melbourne 2414192505348+15733
5 Manly-Warringah 24140102549439+9032
6 Brisbane 24140102511566−5532
7 Newcastle 24130112508491+1730
8 Parramatta 24121112476473+329
9 Wests Tigers 24120122558483+7528
10 South Sydney 24111122566549+1727
11 Penrith 24111122515589−7427
12 North Queensland 24110132558474+8426
13 Canberra 2490152489510−3122
14 New Zealand 2472152377545−18820
15 Cronulla-Sutherland 2450192359568−20914
16 Sydney Roosters 2450192382681−29914

* Bulldogs stripped of 2 competition points after an interchange breach in round 2

References