In the NSW Cup match on Saturday, Manly faced the Sydney Roosters, suffering a tough 44-18 defeat.
Joey Walsh impressed with two tries, showcasing his skill to interim Coach Kieran Foran.
The Sea Eagles started strong but faltered defensively in the second half after trailing by just two points at halftime.
Manly welcomed back centre Josh Feledy, who had been a reserve in the NRL, and prop Paul Bryan, who played a limited role previously.
Walsh set the tone early, scoring his first try next to the posts for a 6-0 lead.
The Roosters equalized with Reece Foley's try, following strong runs from Fetalaiga Pauga.
Pauga and Ben Johnson scored back-to-back tries, putting the Roosters ahead 14-6.
Walsh assisted Tom Summer just before halftime, narrowing the gap to 14-12 as Foley missed a field goal attempt.
Shortly after the break, Feledy was denied a potential try due to a forward pass and attempted an acrobatic dive soon after.