Manly coach Trent Barrett has praised the kicking game and calming influence of recruit Blake Green, declaring his remodelled attack "more stable" heading into the 2017 NRL season.
The Sea Eagles beat the Sydney Roosters 24-22 in a trial at Gosford on Saturday night with new five-eighth Green providing the money ball for centre Dylan Walker to score the winning try in the 75th minute.
It was an encouraging sign for Manly, who struggled to find the right halves partner for No.7 Dale Cherry-Evans last year as they missed the finals for the first time since 2005.
Walker, a standout in a 22-16 trial win over South Sydney a week earlier, was a five-eighth option last year but has returned to the centres after the recruitment of Green from Melbourne and retirement of Jamie Lyon.
With long-serving centre Steve Matai and fellow injured veteran Brett Stewart also seemingly headed into retirement, the way is paved for a new era in the Manly backline.
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"We're probably a bit more stable than what we were this time last year," Barrett said of his attacking line-up.
"But we've still got to get the job done. They've done everything right thus far but all of our energy has got to go into round one and getting off to a start."
Barrett said Green had already made a difference to his side.
"He's just provided the steady head that we bought him for," he said.
"Combinations are going to develop and our attack will evolve over the course of the year, but his kicking game and the calming influence I guess he has on us has been pretty evident, even at training."
Barrett's other prized recruit, back-rower Curtis Sironen, showed his strength and skill to score from close range in the first half on Saturday night.
He looms as a key attacking weapon on Manly's right side, along with Walker and Green.
"That edge is important to us and I thought Curtis Sironen's been one of our better players through the Nines and the two trials as well," Barrett said.
"It's good for his confidence and he's worked really hard to put himself in that position."
Another standout against the Roosters was the club's best and fairest from 2016, Tom Trbojevic, who took over at fullback from Stewart last year. He scored the first try and provided the ball for Sironen's four-pointer.
"Tom was good," Barrett said.
"I guess it's been handy having Blake, Cherry, (hooker) Api (Koroisau) and Tom together for so long.
"It was a luxury we didn't have last year, so that certainly helps, but there were patches in the game where we were a bit rusty.
"We had good opportunities with good ball and didn't quite put together too many sets when we needed to, but the more footy those four play together the better we're going to be."
Manly host Parramatta in their season-opener on March 5.
