Manly can feel their mojo coming back, heading into a period of the regular season they have used to propel them to NRL premiership success in recent years.
Sunday's meeting with Gold Coast represents the start of the final third of the regular season, a stretch of games the Sea Eagles have dominated during their run of eight straight finals appearances.
In five of those years, they have produced 6-2 finishes to the regular season, boasting an overall record of 40-24 over the period for a 62 per cent winning record.
Often, those final stretches have coincided with the Sea Eagles getting their full array of stars back on deck following injury or State of Origin commitments - and 2013 is no different.
Stewart brothers Glenn and Brett are both getting match fitness under their belt, while Daly Cherry-Evans and Anthony Watmough have emerged from what was a torrid Origin campaign.
"We're starting to get few combinations going again," Glenn Stewart said.
"It will be nice to get Choc and Cherry back and start rolling into the back end of the year."
With Canterbury and Cronulla just one point behind them on the ladder, the fourth-placed Sea eagles know they can't afford any slip-up in the run into the finals.
With South Sydney, Sydney Roosters and Melbourne at least four points ahead of them, a top-three finish might be beyond Manly, but veteran prop Brent Kite knows hitting form at the right time of the year is more important than finishing in the top three.
"The guys on top deservedly are favourites - they've managed to knock us off," Kite said.
"We like to think our best footy is ahead of us.
"We've shown in the past we can get things right for September and, if we can do that again, hopefully we can match it with these in-form teams."
The Titans head to Brookvale Oval without Origin duo Nate Myles and Greg Bird - who have both been rested - while Ashley Harrison will play after surviving a fitness test on his injured foot on Saturday morning.
Share
