NRL: Warriors' Manly pursuit

The [Sea] Eagles have landed in Auckland, so get set for a thriller. While Melbourne and the Warriors have become one of the classic NRL rivalries, the annual battles with Manly now aren't far behind. They are often great contests, when both teams lift to produce a memorable match.

Remember the game at Mt Smart last year, when the Warriors hung on to record a dramatic 18-16 victory in a match of finals intensity? Then there was the infamous game in Perth in 2012, when Manly overturned a huge deficit in the final 15 minutes, and earlier that year the two teams played a nine-try thriller at Eden Park.

"We seem to rise for Manly, a bit like we do against Melbourne," Warriors hooker Nathan Friend said. "Most games are close, physical battles and it can be a toss of a coin."

"I'm not exactly sure why it happens but the styles match up well," Warriors captain Simon Mannering said. "The two teams suit playing each other and the middle guys on both teams like to get stuck in."

Along with the complimentary styles, there are other factors that add spice to the contest.

Before the Warriors came into existence in 1995, Manly were the favourite NRL team of most Kiwis. They were one of the glamour teams of the 1970s and '80s, winning five premierships during that time, and Darrell Williams became New Zealand's first grand final winner with the Sea Eagles in 1987.

As interest in the NRL boomed in the 1990s, a host of New Zealanders - headed by Graham Lowe, Matthew Ridge, Gene Ngamu, Craig Innes and Kevin Iro - headed to the northern beaches, making the club even more popular on this side of the Tasman. Manly were also involved in the first official NRL match to be played in New Zealand, at Carlaw Park in 1992, as well as several other pre-season encounters.

The Warriors have never beaten Manly in a finals match, and the 2011 grand final clash saw the rivalry come to a head.

"It's almost like an internal competition within the [NRL] competition," Warriors coach Andrew McFadden said. "The history since that grand final has probably added spice to each game."

Clashes with the Sea Eagles in recent years have also often proved season-defining for the Warriors. The 2012 Eden Park loss exposed defensive limitations in Brian McClennan's side that were never solved, and Manly's comeback from trailing 18-0 in round 21 of that season was the beginning of the end for the former Kiwis coach.

Last year's 18-16 victory over Manly gave them three consecutive wins for the first time since 2011, showing they had turned a corner after the record 62-6 loss to Penrith a few weeks earlier.

Today's match has a similar feel. The Warriors have impressed since returning to Mt Smart - a 100 per cent record across five games - but this is the first big gun they have faced at their home fortress this year.

Despite some internal ructions and untimely injuries, the Sea Eagles are top of the table and in the form that has seen them reach four of the past seven grand finals.

"They are mentally really strong with a great work ethic," Friend said. "Chuck in a bit of skill, and you have a winning formula."

Manly are the ultimate NRL tough nuts. They have an intimidating brand of defence, allied with the guile and direction provided by Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran.

"They are a physically aggressive side that ask a lot of questions," McFadden said. "But they are the kind of team we have to beat if we want to take on the big boys."