They may be getting their head around life without Tom Trbojevic but it seems Manly still need time to accept the tackle that took out their star fullback.
Manly have backed Matthew Wright to step into the big shoes left behind by Trbojevic in Saturday night's NRL clash on the Gold Coast after the NSW Origin hopeful was sidelined for up to two months.
He suffered knee and ankle injuries in last round's 24-14 loss to Brisbane when he landed awkwardly after being tackled in the air by speedster David Mead.
Mead was not penalised because the "tackling in the air" rule offered protection to players only when the ball was caught on the full - not when it bounced as was the case with Trbojevic.
Adding insult to injury, Brisbane were forced to apologise and delete a tweet and online story that claimed Mead's tackle that seriously injured Trbojevic was a "great play".
While confident in Wright, Manly bench utility Jackson Hastings was still scratching his head over the "tackling in the air" interpretation that spared Mead.
"The rules state that it is a legal tackle. It's just unfortunate for us the way it ended like it did," he said.
"The game has come out and said they are not going to change that rule this year but this is up to them.
"(But) I don't see a difference between the ball bouncing and getting tackled in the air as opposed to catching it on the full."
Sea Eagles backrower Curtis Sironen said the team weren't panicking at the prospect of being without their attacking spearhead Trbojevic against a Titans side that upset Melbourne last round in a 38-36 shootout.
But he admitted the whole team would need to lift in Trbojevic's absence.
Not that Sironen believed the "professional" Trbojevic would be sidelined for long.
"Our gameplan is around Turbo getting the ball at certain spots," he said of Trbojevic.
"I think there will be 17 blokes who will have to take up the slack.
"The positive news is that Turbo should not be out too long.
"He's a professional so if they say six to eight weeks he will be back in four to six."
Wright admitted he had not had much time to contemplate his new role at fullback.
"I just got told yesterday that I would be playing at the back," he said.
"But I will just be out there to do my own job and trying to get a win for the boys."
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