Penrith have vowed to get payback on Dylan Walker in this week's do-or-die final after the Manly centre got under their skin with a series of expletive-ladened sledges last week.

It has been a big week for the Sironen family.

Daly Cherry-Evans knows the Sea Eagles will have to rip up the game plan which has already worked so well against the Panthers, but expects the NRL surprise packets to keep confounding critics and go deep into the finals.

Manly and Penrith will both finish in the top eight after the Sea Eagles dished out a 28-10 belting on Saturday.

They've left sceptics scratching their heads and at one stage threatened a top four spot as Trent Barrett eyed Dally M Coach of the Year honours, but Martin Taupau has conceded Manly's season could be viewed as a failure if they don't make the finals.

Manly chairman Scott Penn will urge skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and the Sea Eagles squad to honour promotional appearances for the finals series should they qualify, claiming there is "no point" to players boycotting events in September.

He is Manly's $10 million man on the cusp of leading the club back to the finals, but a candid Daly Cherry-Evans reckons a renowned NRL mind guru helped him realise he wasn't trying as much as he should, which was hurting his Sea Eagles legacy.

Manly have pulled off a dramatic NRL victory, with skipper Daly Cherry-Evans landing a field goal in the fifth minute of golden point to beat the Warriors 22-21 in Auckland.

They have endured a horrid month, but the Manly Sea Eagles are confident they can get their season back on track against the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday.

Trent Barrett concedes Manly are in a hole and must "man up" and find a way out of it very soon.

Manly are walking an NRL finals tightrope after they were beaten 30-16 by Canterbury on Sunday.

Daly Cherry-Evans has experienced the "craziness" that is being coached by Des Hasler.

Of all the things Trent Barrett could have done in a bid to get Manly's season back on track, taking the Steeden away from his players appeared the least likely.

Trent Barrett isn't one to rant or rave. Which is what made this spray all the more effective.

Manly coach Trent Barrett admits it would hurt if Sunday's surprise defeat to Wests Tigers costs his side a top-four finish.

These were the kind of scenes you would routinely see at Leichhardt Oval when Benji Marshall was here in his pomp.

In his first season as Sea Eagles coach, Trent Barrett wondered if he was cut-out for the job.

The young Sea Eagles fullback was just one shining light in his side's stunning 36-18 win.

Dylan Walker is hoping his 100th NRL appearance will be one worth celebrating.