A trip to Perth may be an unusual way to kick-start a stuttering premiership defence, but Manly are hoping to do just that as they gear up for a big run-in to the NRL finals.
Back-to-back losses have seen the Sea Eagles slip to seventh spot on the table, meaning victory against the Warriors in Perth on Saturday night is crucial if the defending premiers are to have a legitimate chance of snaring a coveted top-four spot.
Manly enter round 21 just four points adrift of second place, but face a tough month ahead with away games against high-flying North Queensland and South Sydney.
They then host in-form Newcastle and fifth-placed Brisbane.
But first Geoff Toovey’s need to dispose of the ninth-placed Warriors, who are not only desperate to avenge last year’s grand final loss, but are also fighting to keep their own finals hopes alive.
Manly arrived in Perth on Wednesday, and warm sunshine greeted the players on Thursday when they conducted a series of junior clinics.
The Sea Eagles are hoping the change in scenery will be just the tonic to get their premiership defence back on track.
And although a top-four spot remains the aim for Manly, coach Geoff Toovey said his team could still defend their title even if they landed somewhere between fifth and eighth.
“If you look at the Warriors, if you look at the teams in the grand final over the past two years, many of them have come from the bottom end of the top-eight,” Toovey said.
“Whilst it makes it a little more cut-throat, sometimes that’s an advantage, because it forces you to be on the top of your game in order to win.”
Manly co-captain Jason King, who missed last year’s premiership triumph through injury, said it was crucial for the team to start stringing some wins together.
But they’ll have to spend another week without star fullback Brett Stewart, who is yet to recover from a hamstring injury.
King said Perth was an ideal place for a new NRL team if the league expands in 2015.
“Commercially it works out well with the TV (timeslot), so it would be great for the game to get a team in Perth,” King said.
