Manly stole a very late 11-8 win when former Bronco Matt Parcell scored on the final siren to sink his old team at the Downer NRL Auckland Nines.
Rookie Brisbane winger Tom Opacic opened the scoring through a short-side pass from Todd Murphy, having been left standing unmarked the previous play when Alex Glenn failed to fire him the ball.
Manly looked to have hit back through a rookie winger of their own but Fabian Goodall's foot just scraped the touchline and the score remained 4-0 at half-time.
A scorching run from Manly prodigy Tom Trbojevic early in the second half was followed by a wild pass back infield which was scooped up by his brother and captain Jake to score under the posts to claim the lead 7-4.
Opacic reclaimed the advantage for Brisbane with a spectacular leaping try down the touchline, though it was only a slender 8-7 lead despite having scored two tries to one.
With the clock winding down the Broncos looked safe but right on the bell a deft grubber ahead from Nathan Green pulled up just short of the Broncos' tryline and ex-Bronco Parcell was on hand to toe it ahead and dive on it to steal a late win for Manly.
"We needed to come up with something on the last play and I told Greeny when he was heading down the sideline to kick it back in-field, but once he kicked it I knew I could get there and score," Parcell said.
"It was pretty special."
Sea Eagles captain Jake Trbojevic was a very happy man after his side earned a late win over the Broncos.
Receiving a tough pass from brother Tom to score a five-point try earlier in the second half, it was all smiles in the Trbojevic camp.
"It was definitely brilliant. We haven't won too many Nines games in the past so it was good to get one past such a good team like the Broncos. It was pretty cool to skipper the team as well," he said.
Manly Sea Eagles 11 (J Trbojevic, Parcell tries) def Brisbane Broncos 8 (Opacic 2 tries)
