They booed Daly Cherry-Evans every time he touched the ball in the first half.
By full-time, the same Manly fans were booing coach Anthony Seibold, with one section of the main grandstand chanting “Seibold Out”.
The Sea Eagles slumped to their third loss in as many starts after giving up a half-time lead to lose to the Sydney Roosters 33-16.
Seibold came into the game under the spotlight, and questions will remain about his future until the Northern Beaches club finally nails down a victory.
Cherry-Evans always thought he was going to be the villain in his first game back at the club where he spent 15 seasons, including a record 352 NRL games, and a premiership in 2011.
He failed to thrash out an extension for the chance to become a one-club player this time last year, and joined the Roosters.
Cherry-Evans was heckled when he took the field for the warm-up. The booing continued until the main break, but even then, it was never nasty, and almost in good nature.
Cherry-Evans looked comfortable calling the shots for the Roosters who raced in three tries in five minutes to all but seal the result.
The best thing about the Roosters was their completion rate, which was perfect in the first half, and almost impossible to comprehend considering the wild storm that lashed the area 90 minutes before kick-off. The power went out at 4 Pines Park, the field was covered in water, yet remarkably play kicked off on time.
Manly started brilliantly with a try in the opening 30 seconds.
Luke Brooks received a cheer when he caught the kick-off, something he failed to do to start Manly’s previous game.
Then two plays later, Jake Trbojevic made sure the ball spread right, the Sea Eagles charged down field, and Tom Trbojevic was over not long after.
But Brooks spilled the ball the next set after points, and the Roosters never really looked like leaving the one end of the field.
Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase was able to stroll across in the fifth minute, then had a double midway through the first half. Roosters centre Billy Smith was lucky to avoid being penalised for a ‘disruptor’ when he chased after a kick and forced Tom Trbojevic to knock on in the previous play.
Smith then played a part in Manly being denied a four-pointer when he was shoved in the back by Haumole Olakau’atu while shielding James Tedesco.
Tedesco knocked on, and Brandon Wakeham pounced on the loose ball to score.
The bunker was satisfied Smith had run a perfectly legal line. Trbojevic was overheard telling referee Wyatt Raymond, “You can’t have four people standing in the way”, to which Raymond responded: “He [Olakau’atu] pushed him [Smith] in the back.”
The bunker, however, was never going to deny Tolu Koula when he produced some sizzling speed in the wet to score an 85-metre try. He stepped past Rob Toia, split Siua Wong and Cherry-Evans, fooled a slipping Tedesco, and had enough pace to beat a diving Salesi Foketi.
To do what Koula did on a heavy surface was nothing short of outstanding.
The Roosters lost Egan Butcher to a head knock, and Billy Smith at half-time to a knee injury. Hugo Savala was on the end of a late high shot from Jason Saab, who was binned.
For Manly, there was a lot to like about their debutant Simi Laiafi who made an immediate impression when he charged off the fence for a kick-off carry after Trbojevic’s second try.
Laifai, 19, was still playing SG Ball at the start of last year, progressed to Jersey Flegg, then NSW Cup, then sat on the bench as 18th man in the final NRL game of the season.
The Australian Schoolboys prop was given the late, late call-up after Ethan Bullemor went down with injury in the warm-up.