Former Illawarra and Penrith player Ryan Girdler has labelled Manly "flack-track bullies" following their semi-final victory over the Roosters on Friday night.
The 42-6 victory now has Manly one win away from a Grand Final berth, with a trip to Suncorp Stadium next Friday against the Rabbitohs the only hurdle in their way.
Manly were at their best against the Chooks, with Tom Trbojevic having another key performance, while duo Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran put in a sensational shift in the halves.
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The win follows a damning result against the Storm last week, with the minor premiers cutting through the Sea Eagles with ease.
That loss was the second defeat the Sea Eagles have suffered since early July, with their only other fault also coming against Melbourne in Round 21.
The two Storm clashes aside, the Manly have managed an 8-0 record since their Round 17 defeat to Canberra, moving up and into a top-four finish.
Despite their rise in the latter end of the season and their place in a preliminary final, Girdler isn't convinced the Sea Eagles have what it takes.
โThey had some really good performances last night from some individuals but Iโm not buying it... theyโre flat-track bullies," Girdler said onย Triple M.
โThere was a relevant question there. They havenโt beat anyone in that top echelon of teams.
โIf you look at their run in the last six weeks it was all against bottom sides and they built a little bit of momentum and confidence. They came up against Melbourne in a semi-final and got absolutely torn apart.
โThey played South Sydney earlier in the year and got nowhere near them.
โNow they came up against a side last night that had been decimated and everyone knew what was going to happen. Theyโre a good side when they donโt have a lot of resistance."
Many's last bout against the Rabbitohs came back in Round 2, where Souths were victorious to the tune of 26-12 at Brookvale.
That match saw the Sea Eagles line up against the Bunnies without Trbojevic, who has been a barometer for his side this season in losing just four games from his 17 appearances in 2021.
With the New South Wales star and Dally M fancy set to face the Bunnies next week, the Sea Eagles will enter the match with the confidence they can feature in their first season-decider since 2013.
