Trent Barrett has told Manly players he has no intention of walking out on the NRL club as they attempt to resurrect their horror start to the season.
Sea Eagles players returned on Thursday to training, fresh off the news Barrett had met his manager and a lawyer on Wednesday as questions swirled over his future at the club.
But Barrett moved quickly to quash that speculation when he briefed his players on the situation ahead of Sunday's desperate clash with the Sydney Roosters.
"He said he's not going anywhere," hooker Apisai Koroisau said.
"It's not like Baz to run away from anything like that."
It's understood Wednesday's meetings had not been instigated by Barrett, but rather a third party, and the mentor remains close with his playing group and wants to stay.
But those close to him are believed to be worried about how this period might impact on his long-term career.
Barrett and his Sea Eagles have copped hit after hit since he re-signed in November on a three-year deal.
With the salary-cap penalties still hanging over their heads, the fallout from their infamous trip to Gladstone, where captain Daly Cherry-Evans and Jackson Hastings clashed, is a drama they could have done without.
Manly are still without a chief operating officer while Barrett has had three chief executives in his brief two-and-a-half year stint.
Their already depleted full-time squad has suffered three season-ending knee injuries in matches this year at Lottoland as other injuries mount.
The Sea Eagles also have a tough run ahead, with road trips to Brisbane and Melbourne to follow Sunday's clash, on the back of losing four straight.
Even vice-captain Jake Trbojevic admitted earlier this week others would have left by now.
But instead, players have been vocal this week in their support of Barrett as the pressure mounts on the club.
"He's been the man fronting up to all the cameras over the past couple of weeks after everything has gone down," Koroisau said.
"That says a lot about him there. He wasn't going to let the players take the brunt of that for us.
"He gets along with everyone which is huge for a coach.
"It makes you want to play for him. It brings us all together as boys."
Meanwhile, Manly trained again on Thursday with Dylan Walker at five-eighth, as he prepared to return to the No.6 jersey he last wore in 2016.
Back then, the Manly won just five of 13 games with Walker in the halves, before the plan was abandoned, but Koroisau said the Sea Eagles would structure their attack differently this time.
"Cherry will play on the ball and really work over that middle third. It allows Dylan to be like another fullback, really," Koroisau said.
"As long as he just runs, that's all we really need from him."
