LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
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.
On the other hand, Penrith is on course to secure their second consecutive minor premiership, following a convincing 26-6 victory over the fourth-ranked Storm last week.
What makes their performance even more impressive is their defensive prowess, as they have not allowed more than 18 points in their last six consecutive games and have only conceded six points in their last 160 minutes of play.
Additionally, Penrith has not lost to Manly since June 2018 and has won by a margin of at least 22 points in four of their last five meetings.
Earlier this year, the Panthers triumphed over the Sea Eagles with a resounding 44-12 victory at BlueBet Stadium.