Manly coach Des Hasler believes the week's break between finals games has been the perfect antidote to a month of high drama and controversy at the peninsula club.
The Sea Eagles booked a direct passage to the preliminary final on Friday week after thumping North Queensland 42-8 in week one of the play-offs.
They will sit out this weekend as St George Illawarra and Brisbane fight it out on Saturday to determine who meets Manly in the grand final qualifier.
The Sea Eagles have endured a taxing few weeks on and off the field, with the Brookvale Oval fight furore followed by the contentious axing of popular media manager Peter Peters.
A week away from the media spotlight has been gratefully embraced by the publicity-shy Hasler.
The club has spurned all media requests this week but Hasler did invite Sportal to the club's isolated Narrabeen headquarters on Thursday to declare: "Look at this - nice and quiet, just the way we like it."
"There has been a fair bit going on as you know, so it's been good to just bring things in-house for a week."
"No doubt all the cameras will be back next week but it's been nice to be able to go about our business in peace this week."
Typically, Hasler was reluctant to predict who his team may meet next week.
"It is so hard to choose one over the other. Both sides have qualities that are conducive to winning," he said.
"I was really impressed with St George Illawarra's discipline in that first half against West Tigers last week. Their completion rate was magnificent but unfortunately for them fell away in the second half."
"And I thought Brisbane were terrific against the Warriors so they will be hard to beat too."
"It's just two really good sides going at it and we'll have to be very good to beat whoever we end up playing."
Manly will be missing injured winger David Williams and suspended duo Glenn Stewart and Darcy Lussick both will otherwise be at full strength for the club's biggest game since the 2008 grand final.