Trailing 18-6 at halftime in Perth to the Warriors last week, Manly’s defence of their NRL premiership was in real danger of being surrendered without even making the finals.
A Jorge Taufua try just before the interval saw the Sea Eagles finish the first half with some consolation having been dominated by the team they beat to win the 2011 grand final.
But you don’t reach three grand finals in five seasons without knowing a bit about how to win in adversity and that is precisely what Geoff Toovey’s side did, reeling in the Warriors’ lead to prevail 24-22 thanks to two late Daly Cherry-Evans tries.
The win moved Manly into sixth spot on the ladder, and they now sit outside of the top-four only by virtue of their inferior points differential to North Queensland and Brisbane.
And this is why Steve Matai believes the other teams in finals contention should be wary of Manly in the final five rounds of the campaign.
“The good thing was no one was worried at halftime when we were 18-6 down,” Matai told AAP.
“We knew we could come back and win. Because we know each other so well and we’ve played with each other for so long, that really helps us.
“We’ve got some youngsters that have come in, but the core group is still there and we know we can still play well.”
Injuries and suspensions have been a staple of Matai’s career since making his debut in 2004, but the same has applied to Manly this season.
Brett Stewart, Tony Williams, Glenn Stewart and Kieran Foran have all spent significant time on the sidelines. But with the quartet all set to face North Queensland on Saturday, Matai believes the best is yet to come.
“We’ve had our ups and down with injuries and suspensions and not always been able to put our best team out much this year,” Matai said.
“But now we are getting close to that with Brett coming back, and now we’ve got everyone back on board we’re going to be a very tough team to beat for the rest of this season.”
Matai is also enjoying a good run in the side after overcoming a serious thumb problem that required surgery and is targeting a return to the New Zealand Test side.
“The neck is settling alright, the shoulder is still giving me a bit of drama. But the medical team here are fantastic and looking after me,” he said.
“I’ve had a shoulder op, I had my thumb done, my neck two years ago but it’s coming together now.
“It’s been nice to string a few games together, not missing one and the other.
“I’ve not played for New Zealand for two years now due to injury and suspension, and it would be great to play in the Test in October.”
