Manly coach Geoff Toovey says he's confident of re-signing Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran but is not placing a deadline on his star halves.
Cherry-Evans met with Gold Coast Titans earlier in the week in a flying visit to the glitter strip while he is also being targeted by Parramatta when he comes off contract at the end of the year.
The Titans have reportedly tabled a big-money three-season deal worth more than $1 million per year to the Queensland and Test star in a bid to secure him as the club's marquee player.
Last year Manly had to deal with the distraction of the public contract negotiations of premiership-winning forwards Glenn Stewart and Anthony Watmough, who eventually departed for South Sydney and Parramatta respectively.
Toovey described Manly's preparation for their final trial against the Sydney Roosters on the Central Coast on Saturday as business as usual and was confident of retaining both of his halves.
"The sooner that it is out of the way, the better it is for everyone," he said.
"I won't be putting any deadline on them but the sooner the better."
Toovey was bewildered by comments made by Watmough at Parramatta's season launch on Wednesday but he refused to pour fuel on the fire of the simmering feud between the two sides who will meet in round one.
Watmough said at the Eels launch that he was unhappy at Manly and criticised the leadership at the club.
"It's good to wake up every day and want to go to training. I'm not sitting in my car, not wanting to get out, not wanting to train," Watmough said.
When asked about the comments, Toovey said: "That's just Choc and we'll get on with business. We're a very successful club here at Manly and have been for many, many years. And we'll remain successful."
Toovey has named a full strength side to take on the Roosters including Foran.
Foran suffered a concussion in the NRL All Stars match on Friday and trained away from the main Manly playing group on Wednesday, however Toovey said it was a precaution.
Gold Coast coach Neil Henry said he left the meeting with Cherry-Evans confident of securing the in-demand playmaker's services.
"As confident as you can given that other clubs are interested in him too," Henry said.
"We presented our case to him, what we have to offer.
"It's up to him and his management to come to a decision."
Henry said they did not demand a deadline but believed Cherry-Evans would make a decision sooner rather than later.
"It won't be on our time frame but I get the indication that his management want a fairly early decision on it.
"I think that's what Daly wants as well."
Sea Eagles: Brett Stewart, Peta Hiku, Jamie Lyon, Cheyse Blair, Clinton Gutherson, Kieran Foran, Daly Cherry-Evans, Josh Starling, Matt Ballin, Willie Mason, Tom Symonds, Feleti Mateo, Dunamis Lui, Justin Horo. Interchange: Jesse Sene-Lefao, James Hasson, Blake Leary, Luke Burgess, Jayden Hodges, Tony Satini, Michael Chee Kam, Jake Trbojevic, David Williams, Brayden Wiliame, Jack Littlejohn.
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