Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans has vowed to ensure the club's salary cap saga galvanises the club as they aim to reach a second straight finals series against the odds.
The Sea Eagles are renowned for thriving in their us-against-them attitude, having regularly called upon their siege mentality on a number of occasions in recent years.
Few matters will challenge Manly like the NRL's findings that club management offered $1.5 million in payments outside of the cap during negotiations with 13 players over the past five years.
No players are believed to have committed any wrongdoing, but the club faces a $330,000 reduction on both their 2018 and 2019 salary caps, as well as a $750,000 fine of which one third is suspended.
But Cherry-Evans said that would only make the group more determined after they made last year's finals series without both Brett Stewart and Steve Matai, who were counted in their 2017 cap but did not play a game.
"We'll make sure this galvanises us as a club and certainly as a playing group," Cherry-Evans told Fox Sports' Big League Wrap.
"You only have to look at Manly in the past. This thing doesn't tear the club apart, it's back-to-the-walls and it gets the best footy out of you.
"In that regard the situation isn't ideal, but what it can potentially do to our playing group, we'll use it for a benefit that's for sure."
History is mixed for Manly in terms of team's performances in the wake of significant mid-season salary cap penalties in the lead up to Saturday's clash with Canberra.
Canterbury and Parramatta both lost the week after their breaches were handed down in 2002 and 2016 respectively, while Melbourne won in the week after their 2010 penalties.
Crucially but, Manly's season has not been destroyed by a points penalty in the same way each of those teams' years were.
Cherry-Evans said it was important the players addressed and spoke about the matter as a group.
"It's the elephant in the room, there's no point just putting it in the corner and leaving it there for months to stew," Cherry-Evans said.
"We'll certainly talk about it. I'm sure Trent and the front office will talk about the repercussions that comes from it, if there are any directly to the playing groups."
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