Manly took more than just the two NRL points away from their upset win over North Queensland, according to star centre Dylan Walker.
Walker admits the playing group had returned with their tails up after getting away from a dramatic week at the club headed by an internal fight involving Sea Eagles icon Bob Fulton.
Coach Trent Barrett and captain Daly Cherry-Evans had also come under fire for a winless opening fortnight of the season.
"We were copping it quite a bit. People say they don't really listen to it but you hear of it and it's in the back of your mind," Walker said back in Sydney from Townsville on Sunday.
"To get away and bunker in and be around just the boys for a couple of days, it's going to help us as a team. Hopefully, we can build a better team morale.
"When you're winning, it's obviously a bit of happiness and we finally got that monkey off our back. To do it in round three, we were all feeling a bit agitated. To get that win was very important."
Utility Jackson Hastings, who scored a try in his first match for the club, recalled the relief on some of the faces of his new teammates at fulltime on Saturday night.
He said the 30-8 win against the Johnathan Thurston-led Cowboys on the road was a difficult task.
"Obviously getting hammered by the media like that is always going to be difficult. But I think it shows what a strong team and strong group we have mentally here at the club," he said.
"A lot of people say they've got some handy players out, but they still had a bloke with headgear on that's the best we've ever seen. We still had to do a job."
Hastings paid particular tribute to skipper Cherry-Evans, who put in easily his best performance of the season with a vintage halfback performance.
The Sydney Roosters discard said the outing reminded him of the Sea Eagles' reputation of fighting back when their backs are against the wall.
"I was on the back end of it last year when they came over and played (the Roosters)," he said.
"I think (Manly's) got a lot of strong leaders at the club and a lot of people that perform when their backs are against the wall. Last night a lot of leaders stood up."
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