"If [John] Donnelly, [Les] Boyd or [Tommy] Raudonikis got you as a partner, you would get knocked around before the game," Mosely said, recalling the old days. "Those blokes drew blood. They were intense."

Mosely said he hoped Sheens had "kicked some butt and slapped a few faces" following the loss to the Eels, before conceding: "Back then, it was the Silvertails versus the Fibros. Obviously, things have changed since then, and you wouldn't expect it to happen now."

Sheens supports the club's drive to attract publicity, but he didn't want to be too closely involved with this one. Asked what he thought of the display, Sheens smiled that faint smile of his and replied: "That's one for the marketing boys."

The game against Manly is what Sheens is focused on, and, while part of his strategy will involve dealing with what the Sea Eagles bring to the table, making sure his own players adopt the right approach is his greatest concern.

"We were trying not to lose against Parramatta, rather than trying to win," he said. "We reacted poorly to our mistakes, or decisions that went against us, so instead of moving on, we let it frustrate us - and all that did was lead to a lack of concentration and more mistakes.

"It's something that is the result of the pressure that is on at the moment. But there is an opportunity to show that you can keep your composure and push away issues that come up. That's what we have to do against Manly."

Sheens said the Tigers would either make the finals or miss out on their own terms. "We're a side that has a proven ability to use the ball," he said. "We won't be looking to go over the top, but we won't be going into our shell, either. We'll be trying to make things happen."

¡ Canberra forward Tom Learoyd-Lahrs will miss the rest of the season after unsuccessfully attempting to have his dangerous throw charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary last night. Learoyd-Lahrs was suspended for seven matches for the throw, on Ben Cross, in the second half of Sunday's win over the Knights.