Lehi Hopoate is certainly grateful for teammate Brandon Wakeham’s reliable hands following a rather cheeky moment during Manly’s victory over the Cowboys.
Hopoate, who had already crossed for a double, seized on a fumble by Scott Drinkwater near the end of the first half and dashed across the try line.
Wakeham, who is still searching for his first try of the season, joined him on the run and Hopoate tossed the ball back to the hooker, allowing him to score and extend the lead to 20-6.
“Did he really just do that?” Phil Gould responded incredulously on Nine.
“Oh dear, oh dear… just put it down, goodness me.”
Lehi Hopoate crosses the line. Nine
Former Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston described the incident as “tough to watch” from a North Queensland perspective.
“That shows a bit of confidence or perhaps arrogance, handing it off just before the try line,” he said with a chuckle.
“It’s a big ‘take that’ to the Cowboys.”
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Gould’s astonishment continued as he remarked, “I can’t imagine how I’d handle that situation.”
“It’s a different story if the score’s already 50 or 60 and there’s only a couple of minutes left,” he added.
“That’ll be a challenge for Kieran Foran to manage. Welcome to coaching.”
Foran’s initial reaction wasn’t visible from the coaching box, nor was he quizzed about it after the match.
However, Gould wasn’t finished with his disbelief, reflecting on what he would have said at half-time.
“It wouldn’t have been a pleasant conversation,” he stated.
“In the end, all’s well that ends well, but no, no, no, you just don’t do that.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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