The Penrith Panthers website, penrithpanthers.com.au, has reported that Thursday night's upcoming match against the Sea Eagles will mark the beginning of a crucial two weeks for Manly.
The Sea Eagles missed a golden opportunity to enter the top eight last week when they suffered a 26-16 defeat to the Roosters, despite dominating possession and playing against a team with a player disadvantage for the final 18 minutes.
Although they are only one point behind the eighth-placed Rabbitohs heading into Round 24, Manly will likely need to win both of their next two games against the ladder-leading Panthers and the third-ranked Warriors to have a chance of advancing beyond the regular season.