NRL Grand Final: Manly were too tough to crack - Luck

Shaun Johnson and Manu Vatuvei react after losing the NRL grand final. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Losing the grand final hurt more than he'd ever imagined but Micheal Luck wasn't about to gripe about Manly's crucial try just before halftime.

Aaron Heremaia appeared to be obstructed after man-of-the-match Glenn Stewart had kicked ahead in the final seconds of the first half but play was allowed to continue and Daly Cherry-Evans scored a tackle later to hand Manly a crucial 12-2 lead at the break.

"It was an amazing play," Luck said. "Glenn Stewart kicks it on the third tackle in his own half - unbelievable play. Credit where it's due, that's a rocks-or-diamonds play, and it was diamonds. Those moments shift momentum in games, and in big games that's what wins it. They were better than us [last night]."

Manly were simply too tough a nut to crack, Luck said.

"They are a good team. If you give them that much ball it is going to make it hard. But I am so proud of our team. With 15 to go we had no right to be in that game. It just seemed that every time you looked around you had to be tackling again.

"They are tough as nails and have players that can strike from anywhere. You've got to give them credit, they were outstanding.

"It hurts like hell now. If you would have said we'd run second 10 weeks ago we would have taken it but now it means nothing. I would give anything to be in that other dressing room."

Luck conceded the future might be bright but he was struggling to see the bright side as the reality of defeat set in.

"If you get three grades in [finals] there is plenty of depth through the club. It all moves ahead, you get the boys back again next year and hopefully we are back for another crack at it. But it took me 11 years to get to this one. It hurts more than I ever thought it would. You name it, I'd give it up to have a win tonight."