He produced the match-clinching try, but Canterbury fullback Ben Barba was just happy to contribute in a week he won’t soon forget.

Barba praised his senior teammates and coach Des Hasler for helping bring him back down to earth following Tuesday night’s Dally M medal victory, as he prepared for Friday night’s 16-10 NRL qualifying win over Manly.

It wasn’t the sort of performance Barba produced on an almost weekly basis to secure him the gong as the NRL’s best for 2012, but the freakish fullback said he was more intent just to ensure he played his role for the side.

There was the early scare of a knock-on with his first touch of the ball when he was driven back by four Manly defenders as he retrieved a clearing kick, but it proved to be his only error of the night.

“It’s been a pretty big week but I really had to focus after Tuesday night, I had to really try and get back into game mode,” Barba told AAP.

“We got this far with all of us just doing our job – that was my main focus, just trying to get back to doing what I’d done the last 26 rounds.”

He did manage to add to his equal NRL-best try-scoring tally with his 22nd try of 2012, more remarkable being the fact it was the eighth time he had finished off a try-scoring movement from within his own half.

Asked as to how he got himself back from the high of Tuesday night, Barba said:

“I just had to get back to footy – training and just being with the boys and not thinking about it.

“I just had to get back into the routine like Tuesday night didn’t happen.”

While he limped into the post-match presentation with ice on his ankle, Barba said he was in no doubt for his side’s preliminary final in a fortnight.