Manly coach Trent Barrett has sounded a warning to NRL rivals over the form of Dylan Walker heading into the start of the season in just over two weeks.
Walker - who will move from five-eighth to centre this season to fill the gap created by the retirement of captain Jamie Lyon - scored a late converted try for the Sea Eagles to give them a 24-22 win over the Sydney Roosters at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday.
He was also one of Manly's best in their 22-16 win last week over Walker's old club, South Sydney.
"We all know how good a talent Dylan is," Barrett said.
"It's a credit to him. He's really put his head down the last 10 weeks and worked really hard.
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"He's just got to keep working hard at it. We just can't let up, the comp's that tight, but Dylan's doing well."
Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who played recruits Luke Keary and Michael Gordon into his backline, was happy with the hit-out, which came after their Auckland Nines victory and a 11-10 trial loss to the Cowboys last week in Mackay.
"I think you can see that we're building and trying to work on some stuff," Robinson said.
"I wasn't happy with the defence, I think that was up and down, and then our combos, we're working our way through.
"It was our first run with a lot of guys playing together, especially after the Nines, and there were only a few guys up in Mackay, so it was good."
Manly led 12-0 after fullback Tom Trbojevic sliced through to score in the fifth minute before providing a flat pass for gun recruit Curtis Sironen to crash over in the 12th.
The Roosters hit back with two tries to Daniel Tupou, the first off a long cut-out ball from Gordon in the 19th minute and the next after Ryan Matterson's flick pass in the 22nd.
Centre Blake Ferguson put the Roosters in front 18-12 in the 29th minute, pushing through flimsy defence before putting Connor Watson, who replaced Pearce, over to score.
Manly squared it up in the 37th minute when second-rower Frank Winterstein burrowed over from dummy-half.
The Roosters start their season away to the Titans on March 4, while Manly host Parramatta the next day.
