Manly captain Matt Orford was so impressed by Melbourne's performance on Friday night that he's warned the rest of the competition that the 2007 premier will be one of the main contenders again this year.
While it went into the three previous finals series as the NRL's top side and went on to advance to the deciders as red-hot favourite in each - only winning one of those titles - this year it qualified for September in fourth and wasn't as highly-fancied as several other clubs.
But according to Orford the 40-12 result at Etihad Stadium - which included four tries to full-back Billy Slater - has not only ensured that its premiership odds will have come in considerably but will also have the other teams in the competition eyeing it warily.
"I don't think there would've been a side in this competition that would beat Melbourne after that performance," a shattered Orford said.
"They showed that they deserve to be up there with the top favourites in that competition, they were very clinical with what they were doing, they did everything faster and better and cleaner than us."
"That was clearly one of Billy's best games of the year and there wouldn't have been a team in the comp that would even go close to Melbourne tonight and Billy showed it."
Coming off a 38-4 win over the Titans last week at home Orford had no inkling that his side would be so poor against the Storm but he insisted that he and his team-mates would pick themselves back up in the expectation that results will go the way they need them to in order to stay alive.
"We're going to go and prepare that we've got a game next week," Orford added.
"Obviously we've put ourselves in a really hard spot and need results to go our way but we're preparing that we're going to play next week, I think we need that mindset to get ourselves back up after a lapse tonight."
"We know the areas we need to pick up and I've said it all year, it's a simple game of footy but it's just about attitude and mindset."
Meanwhile coach Des Hasler insisted after the game that the decision to rush Jamie Lyon back just three weeks after he suffered an AC joint injury in his shoulder was the correct one even though his game was over inside half an hour.
Injured against the Storm in Round 24 Lyon was a late call-up but copped a heavy hit after passing the ball just past the 15-minute mark, and after being benched in the 29th minute did not return to the field.
"I think so (it's his shoulder again), I'll go back and check … but I think it's that same AC joint there," Hasler said.
"No, no (it wasn't the wrong decision to play Lyon), he was cleared to play so he's obviously reinjured it in the game."
While Hasler is unsure yet whether Lyon's season will be over even if the Sea Eagles survive this weekend, he had trouble explaining why his team copped such a caning just weeks after beating the Storm 20-16 at Olympic Park.
"I can tell you the players and the club are really disappointed with tonight," he added.
"We were guilty of turning over ball in inopportune field position."
"We were just down in those one-percent