'No excuse': Refreshed Sea Eagles ready to launch top-eight charge
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Manly are set to go back to basics as they look to recapture the Fozball magic and fight their way back into the top eight.
The Kieran Foran era started with a bang on the Northern Beaches, the Sea Eagles winning seven of their first eight games after the club legend took charge in Round 5.
Since then, however, the team's wings have been clipped and Manly are battling a four-game losing streak leading into Saturday's Indigenous Round clash with the Storm in Perth.
Foran appointed Head Coach
It's the first dose of adversity for the rookie coach, but Fogarty said Foran has taken the challenge in his stride as he looks to guide the side to a top-eight finish.
"Foz hasn't changed since the first week he walked in," Fogarty told NRL.com. "He was upbeat, happy, kept things simple, his messaging was clear and he's still the same now.
"At the start when you're winning games, it's easy for him to be like that, but the last six weeks have been tough for us as a club and he hasn't changed his emotions or his personality.
"Foz is a great man, he knows what the team needs, he's doing a fantastic job and we all love playing for him."
Match: Storm v Sea Eagles
Round 23 -
home Team
Storm
12th Position
away Team
Sea Eagles
10th Position
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Defence has been the biggest factor in Sea Eagles' struggles throughout the past month, with the side conceding 128 points during the losing streak. It's a stark contrast to Foran's early success, which was built on a defensive foundation.
The run of defeats has seen the side fall out of the eight and they now face a battle to play finals for the first time since 2024.
The Sea Eagles currently sit 10th on the ladder, but they remain just two points behind the seventh-placed Rabbitohs.
The stakes are high for both sides at HBF Park on Saturday, with Melbourne desperate to keep touch with the top eight.
Sea Eagles v Storm - Round 17, 2026
The Storm are currently 12th and need to win their last four games to have a chance of playing finals football for the 16th-straight year.
Manly enter the game on the back of the bye and Fogarty said there is no excuse for a performance that does not meet the team's lofty goals.
"The bye came at a good time for us," Fogarty said. "We do have a lot of guys out so there's a lot of guys that have played every game all year with big minutes. They were able to get a rest last week so there's no excuse.
"We've just had a week off, everyone should be feeling fit and fresh and we get to spend a bit of time together on the road trip to Perth. It's a long flight and a couple of days together, hanging around your teammates so it's good for morale but it's not a leisure trip, it's a business trip.
"We've got to make sure we go over there and perform to our standard that we talk about and we need to get a win to keep our season alive."
Saturday's match marks the last NRL game at HBF Park before the Bears take up residence next year.
The expansion franchise has a number of events planned to celebrate the event, with the club to unveil their 2027 home jersey on Friday afternoon and coach Mal Meninga leading a Bear Walk to the ground on gameday.
The trip provides a taste of what's to come for the Sea Eagles, with clubs to make the journey across the Nullarbor on a regular basis from next year.
Jamal Fogarty Try
Fogarty is excited to experience firsthand the city's passion for rugby league and hopes his side can produce a victory for their Perth supporters.
"AFL and cricket are huge in WA but they've got Mal Meninga, who's one of the biggest names within our game with the Bears," Fogarty said. "He's going to attract, players, fans and members over there and they're building a roster nicely.
"For us players it's good to see another team come in. It's a new place we get to travel, any growth we get will bring our game up to a higher standard and there will be more contracts for guys on the fringe at NRL clubs.
"It's going to be a wonderful thing for the NRL moving forward, I hope they're successful and they stay in the game for a long time."
