For one hour at least, Manly were in the NRL top four.
But Brisbane's win over South Sydney later on Friday night bumped the Sea Eagles back to fifth, and they could even fall back to sixth by Monday should other results go against them.
But that won't stop Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans from declaring his team possible top-four contenders after edging Newcastle 18-14 at Lottoland.
Manly made it five wins in six games to briefly jump the Broncos into the top four - their highest spot since the Sea Eagles fell two games short of a grand final in 2014.
And, according to Cherry-Evans, there's a sense of anticipation in the air on the northern beaches.
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"It's pretty exciting to be honest. It's foreign territory for a lot of our squad. But it's also a bit exciting to look back at when the last time I was there," he said after the win.
The former Queensland State of Origin star wasn't afraid to compare the current list to the ones that progressed to two grand finals in the space of three seasons in 2011 and 2013.
"I've been involved with some really good squads early in my career," he said.
"And I feel like this period is now opening up the game for us to be that side that continually is during the season up the top of the ladder.
"If we continue to work hard, I've got no doubt we'll be able to put ourselves in a position to stay up there."
The Sea Eagles got a scare midway through the second half when star fullback Tom Trbojevic, in his first game back from an ankle injury, copped a knock to the same foot.
Trbojevic ran off the pain and finished off the match.
"It frightened him a little bit. He got caught awkwardly again. But he's 100 per cent, so that's really good for him to get through," coach Trent Barrett said.
"It was ordinary conditions to come back from a lower limb injury, but he was 100 per cent fit. Now he's got two more weeks to get right for the Sharks."
