They only led the grand final for two seconds but Manly will remain the NRL's Under-20s premiers for eternity after a last gasp 20-18 win over Parramatta at ANZ Stadium.
In a fightback that befitted a finale for the 10-year history of the now axed competition, the Sea Eagles recovered from a 14-0 deficit after just 14 minutes to stun the Eels.
The win capped off a remarkable month for Manly, who fought back from claiming last year's wooden spoon to finish the regular season eighth, before embarking on an unbeaten finals run.
"I saw it as a challenge when I took the job on," Sea Eagles coach Wayne Lambkin said.
"My ambition was to make sure they made the eight somewhere and never thought anything beyond that.
"We just had to get through that period at 14-0 and make sure it doesn't get any worse. Once we were able to do that and our defence started to improve with it."
It was also Manly's first Under-20s premiership after losing to Penrith in the 2015 grand final.
After scores were levelled 14-14 early in the second half, the Eels held out waves of Manly attack before they took the lead back 18-14 in the 68th minute through winger Greg Leleisiuao.
But in what would be the last play of the game, Manly hooker Manase Fainu found barnstorming prop Keith Titmuss, who crashed his way over next to the posts with barely two minutes on the clock.
Centre Tevita Funa then slotted the conversion over just two seconds before the fulltime siren sounded to give Manly their first NYC (National Youth Competition) title.
Sunday's result marked the lowest-scoring grand final in Under-20s history but no-one among the Sea Eagles cared as they smothered Funa under a pile of players' bodies when he raised the flags for 20-18.
Halfback Cade Cust was awarded the Jack Gibson medal for man of the match, after he was involved in both Manly's first half tries to Funa and Bilal Maarbani, who got a ball down within centimetres of the deadball line on halftime.
"To win it in the last few minutes - whatever accolades come with it I just can't thank the coaching staff and all the boys enough," Cust said.
"It's such a good feeling to get that cup. It's in the trophy cabinet at the Manly Sea Eagles forever - they aren't taking that away."
Meanwhile Parramatta, coached by Luke Burt who was on the losing end of two NRL grand finals (2001, 2009) for the Eels, were left to rue a series of missed opportunities on Sunday after they finished fourth and entered as favourites.
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