Manly coach Geoff Toovey has paid tribute to the Sea Eagle's winning culture ahead of the club's 10th successive finals series.
Heading for their first minor premiership since 1987, the 'September Specialists" have proven to be the NRL's leading team over the past decade.
Sitting at the top of the NRL ladder on 34 points ahead of Friday's round 24 match with Parramatta, Manly have qualified for the finals three weeks out.
Now it is just a matter of where they finish, as they zero in on a vital top two finish, and a home final in weeks one of the playoffs.
"I think it is indicative of the club here and its history, there is a deep history here at the club of finals football," Toovey said.
"It is a tribute to the players we have here and the longevity of some of those players and the culture of the club in genera.l
"From the 70s to the present day we have always been a very competitive team and those great players pass on that culture from one generation to the next."
Manly have featured in four of the last seven grand finals, winning two.
The last time the Sea Eagles didn't feature in September action was when they finished 13th in 2004.
That was the last year of nine straight seasons in the finals for one of modern rugby league's other most successful sides the Sydney Roosters.
Melbourne have featured in all but the 2010 finals series but several of those appearances were illegitimate due to wide-ranging rorting of the salary cap.
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