September specialists Manly say they haven't lost their finals mojo, as they prepare for the end of an era of sustained NRL success.
The Sea Eagles' start to their 10th successive finals campaign started horribly in Friday's 40-24 thrashing to South Sydney.
But Manly are adamant the fight, and finals experience, that delivered them premierships in 2008 and 2011 and also took them to grand finals in 2007 and 2013, hasn't vanished due to one finals loss.
Written off as premiership possibilities ahead of Saturday's elimination semi-final showdown with Canterbury, star centre Steve Matai said there is plenty of fight left in the dog.
"We have been in this situation before, we had a tough (qualifying final) loss last year against the Roosters, that game took a lot out of us but we know how to bounce back from that," he said.
"We are still two wins away from the grand final and we know we can play some good footy."
With injured back-rower Glenn Stewart headed for South Sydney next season, veteran prop Jason King retiring, Matai being chased by the Warriors, Anthony Watmough possibly moving on to Parramatta and Brett Stewart linked with the Bulldogs, this finals series represents the end of an era at Brookvale.
"That happens at every football team, that happens at every football club, players move on and players get older," King said.
"But we can't be thinking along those lines, we can't be thinking of farewells.
"We are not looking beyond (the Bulldogs game). This game is too important to think about that, to get sidetracked by that.
"We have to think about the game of football and those little areas of football that we need to be good at to win."
Matai added: "It is also Brett's 200th game this weekend and we want to celebrate it with a win.
"With Kingy and Gifty (Glenn Stewart) leaving we want to send them out the best way we possibly can and that is by winning and hopefully getting them a ring at the end of the year."
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