The Warriors' narrow loss to the Sea Eagles was a clear reminder that NRL seasons are built on small margins.
The Auckland club came close to a historic win in Perth, but ultimately went down 26-22 to the Sydney team.
They will rue an awful period either side of halftime, when the Sea Eagles scored 26 unanswered points, after the Warriors had held a 16-0 lead.
Outside of that spell, the Warriors were pretty good. They attacked well and defended with gusto, though did nothing to allay fears about their ability to beat the big teams.
Tonight always felt like a a bridge too far, despite the progress the Auckland side had made over the last month. Trying to beat one of their all-time bogey sides, in a city where they never win, looked a combination of circumstances far beyond this current Warriors side.
But they gave it a great shot. The Warriors made one of their best starts of the year, sprinting to a 16-0 lead inside the first quarter, before an inevitable Manly comeback.
They were overhauled early in the second half but still went toe to toe with the Sea Eagles, despite the loss of Albert Vete (broken arm) and Nathaniel Roache (hamstring strain).
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was a fingertip away from a crucial try in the 69th minute, then David Fusitua was stopped centimetres short with six minutes to play. Shaun Johnson then overplayed his hand in the dying moments when the Warriors had a golden chance.
This match reminded of last year's epic battle at the same venue, when Manly snuck home in golden point. The Warriors are a significantly better team since then, but Manly have improved exponentially also and that was the difference.
Ryan Hoffman (foot injury) was a late withdrawal, with Bunty Afoa promoted into the starting XIII and Ligi Sao coming into the 17.
In miserable conditions, the Warriors made a sizzling start. Bodene Thompson crossed after five minutes, running off a short pass from Johnson after a sustained period of pressure inside the Manly 20 metre zone.
They extended their lead in the next set after the kickoff, with Roache sparking a long range break finished off by Nicoll-Klokstad.
The visitors rounded out a perfect first quarter - they hadn't made a mistake - with a try to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the fullback scoring for the fifth consecutive NRL game after Kieran Foran anticipated the fullback's run perfectly with his grubber kick.
However, it was about then they both teams reverted to type; the Warriors with their burden of historical struggles in Perth (no wins from eight games before this match) and Manly with their dominant record over the Auckland side (only four losses from the last 22 clashes).
The Sea Eagles stormed back into the match, and their third try - right on the halftime whistle - cancelled out the visitors' imposing lead.
The Warriors were on their heels defensively, guilty of not putting pressure on the Manly runners and the Sydney side made them pay.
The pattern continued in the second half; the Auckland side were still competing, but the Sea Eagles were in full flight, displaying the form that had sent them soaring into the top four.
RESULTS:
Warriors 22 (B Thompson, C Nicoll-Klokstad 2, R Tuivasa-Sheck tries; S Johnson 3 goals)
Sea Eagles 26 (T Trbojevic 2, B Kelly, A Uate, D Walker tries; M Wright 3 goals)
Halftime 16-16
