Toovey blasts Sea Eagles’ focus

Manly coach Geoff Toovey says a lack of mental focus was to blame for the defeat to Parramatta.

The visitors fought their way into the lead after trailing at half time, but conceded 11 unanswered points in the final quarter to crash to a 29-20 defeat.

“We didn’t do ourselves any favours, but again, we did enough to be in front with 10-15 to go and still capitulated from there,” said Toovey.

“There were some good things out there, but we’re very disappointed about the way we played, particularly at the beginning and the end of the game.”

Despite suffering plenty of off-season turmoil, including the tumultuous departure of double-premiership winning coach Des Hasler, the Sea Eagles got their season off to a great start, beating the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland and the much-fancied Wests Tigers.

But the men from the northern beaches are now winless in three matches.

“We started the year on a high with the first two matches,” added Toovey.

“It’s just unfortunate that at times during a match we lack that mental focus that the teams we’re playing have.

“We’ll get back there, and we’ve got to bounce back next week for our first home game.

“But we need to be mentally focused for the full eighty minutes, which I think today we didn’t do.”