Back on home soil and apparently recovered from any jet lag, they were a different team on Friday night, once they had recovered from a scratchy start.
“We didn’t play how we wanted to in Vegas,” Warriors co-captain James Fisher-Harris said.
“That wasn’t us. We had to look ourselves in the mirror, as a team. I thought we did that.”
Trbojevic scored the opening points of the match after only three minutes with the 11th try of his career against the Warriors, after backing up a Jason Saab break.
A Reuben Garrick penalty seven minutes later had Manly 6-0 in front and looking good.
But the visitors paid a price for over-confidence, and Trbojevic was the main culprit, producing several uncharacteristic errors in attacking situations.
That allowed the Warriors to gain some traction, and they capitalised in the 19th minute when five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita dived over.
Midfield tries from wingers Taine Tuaupiki and Ali Leiataua in the 26th and 29th minutes left the visitors pondering an 18-6 half-time deficit.
Manly reduced the arrears five minutes after the resumption, when Saab dived over in the corner.
Warriors hooker Wayde Egan soon calmed the nerves of home fans – who last witnessed a victory at Mt Smart on July 26 last year – with a try from dummy-half.
Then came one of the tightest line-ball calls you will ever see.
In the 58th minute, Saab broke clear and centre-kicked, and the ball appeared beat everyone over the dead-ball line.
But at the last split-second, Garrick launched himself, batted the ball back infield, and Cherry-Evans grounded it.
After repeated viewings, the bunker approved the try, ruling Garrick’s foot avoided the line by a millimetre.
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Garrick’s conversion left the Warriors clinging to a 24-16 lead.
Manly suffered an untimely setback in the 64th minute when lock Jake Trbojevic was sin-binned after a spate of set restarts, prompting Cherry-Evans to protest: “That’s a big call.”
With Manly down to 12 men, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck sealed the win by cutting back inside to crash over and score in the 71st minute.
A Luke Metcalf try iced the Warriors win.
