NRL: Sea Eagles keep tail feathers up after horror start to finals

Steve Matai of Manly. Photo / Getty Images

September specialists Manly say they haven't lost their finals mojo as they prepare for the end of an era of NRL success.

The Sea Eagles' start to their 10th successive finals campaign started horribly with last Friday's 40-24 thrashing by South Sydney.

But Manly are adamant the fight, and finals experience, that delivered them premierships in 2008 and 2011 and took them to grand finals in 2007 and 2013 hasn't vanished after one finals loss.

They've been written off as premiership possibilities before tomorrow's elimination semifinal showdown with Canterbury, but star centre Steve Matai said there was plenty of fight left.

"We have been in this situation before, we had a tough [qualifying final] loss last year against the Roosters, that game took a lot out of us but we know how to bounce back from that," he said.

"We are still two wins away from the grand final and we know we can play some good footy."

With back-rower Glenn Stewart headed for South Sydney next season, veteran prop Jason King retiring, Matai being chased by the Warriors, Anthony Watmough possibly moving to Parramatta and Brett Stewart linked with the Bulldogs, this finals series is the end of an era at Brookvale.

Said King: "That happens at every football team, that happens at every football club, players move on and players get older.

"But we can't be thinking along those lines, we can't be thinking of farewells.

"We are not looking beyond [the Bulldogs game].

"We have to think about the game of football and those little areas we need to be good at to win."

Matai added: "It is also Brett's 200th game this weekend and we want to celebrate it with a win.

"With Kingy and Gifty [Glenn Stewart] leaving, we want to send them out the best way we possibly can and that is by winning and hopefully getting them a ring at the end of the year."

- AAP