Former Manly premiership winner Glenn Hall has warned his North Queensland teammates that the Sea Eagles will be galvanised by the fallout of the Battle of Brookvale.
Preparing to face Manly in Saturday night's NRL qualifying final at the SFS, Hall knows Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler well enough to expect there will be no let-up from the competition heavyweights despite the recent distractions at the club.
And he says the Cowboys must take on Manly at their own fierce, physical game if they're to spring an upset win and stay in the finals.
Manly will still be without key forwards Glenn Stewart and Darcy Lussick, sitting out three-week suspensions stemming from one of the fiercest fights witnessed on a rugby league field since the 1970s.
But they regain star fullback Brett Stewart and five-eighth Kieran Foran from their suspensions to face the Cowboys.