Manly must upset trend to be NRL contender

Aug 15, 2017 - 2:06 AM Manly must overcome their "tipster's nightmare" tag if they are to play a significant role in the NRL finals.

The Sea Eagles returned to their Manly base for a review of their upset loss to Wests Tigers on Tuesday, and emerged in a mood as dark as it has been all season.

At one stage on Sunday, Manly looked set to sit comfortably in the top four with three rounds to play.

Instead, they are seventh and must walk the finals tightrope, beginning with this Sunday's clash with Canterbury at ANZ Stadium.

"It's hard to get over losses like that," Jake Trbojevic said.

"Especially when you're in a position to win the game, it's hard to take at times."

Three of Manly's past four losses have come against teams ranked lower than them on the ladder.

They are the ultimate underdogs - having won an NRL-high six of 12 games they have entered this season as outsiders.

But it's not so pretty on the other side of the spectrum, with losses in four of the nine games they were expected to win.

A harsh reality, when considering they will enter the next two rounds against the Bulldogs and Warriors as favourites before they face Penrith in a possible season-defining round-26 clash.

A win in any of those games should put them in the finals, but it will take victories in all three to give them a chance of landing a top-four spot.

"If you don't turn up in the right frame of mind or you don't put your best performance on the weekend, you can easily get beat," said Manly five-eighth Blake Green.

"It's always dangerous playing teams outside the eight at the end of the year because they've got nothing to lose."

Source: AAP