After scoring two tries in a losing performance for the Sharks on Sunday afternoon, Andrew Fifita admitted that the individual numbers don't mean much when your side doesn't get the result.
"It would have been good but we didn't win, they got the two points," Fifita told NRL.com.
"It was good to get over Feleti though," he joked as Feleti Mateo walked out of the Manly dressing rooms.
A larger than life character, the demoted Blues prop said his side struggled with a lack of cohesion in key positions.
"We had a few injuries out there and with 'Micky' [hooker Michael Ennis] being suspended I thought 'Patty' [Pat Politoni] did an awesome job but it's just that role in the team where Mick gets us going, I think that was the main thing [missing]," he said.
The Sea Eagles found some much-needed consistency in key positions on Sunday, a fact that had a huge bearing on the end result, according to the towering Sharks prop.
"Daly's [Cherry-Evans] had a big week and so has 'Kizza' [Foran] but they played like they had a big monkey off their backs and I think they're becoming the Manly team we all know they can be," Fifita said.
"They beat us but at the same time we beat ourselves, we had a poor completion rate."
With his side now having to wait at least another week to finally crack the top eight, the 26-year-old said the result may be a blessing in disguise.
"We were a team that no one saw coming," he said.
"We kept getting in the eight then kept getting pushed out on for-and-against.
"The two points would have been good but it may be a blessing in disguise going into the end of the year.
"We won three in a row but now we get this loss and the boys get back on the horse and hopefully get back into the wins."
Fifita also reflected on playing alongside his brother David, who was standing nearby providing distractions.
"To play alongside your sibling is an honour but at the same time I've got 15 other boys out there who are like my brothers," he said.
