History and numerous pundits suggest premiers Manly have little chance of winning the NRL title in 2012 but new coach Geoff Toovey prefers to point to the club's history of rising to challenges.
No team has won back-to-back premierships in a united competition since Wayne Bennett's Brisbane triumphed in 1993 and certainly few premiership-winning teams have endured an off-season laden with as many potholes as the Sea Eagles have.
Having seen two-time premiership winning coach Des Hasler walk away from the club to join Canterbury less than a week after their grand final victory over the Warriors, as well as losing wingers Michael Robertson and Will Hopoate and second-rower Shane Rodney, longtime coaching assistant Toovey has his work cut out.
But Toovey argues the club he won two competitions with as a player, and the current playing group in particular, have always managed to come through hard times and will relish the challenge posed by the doubters.
"Great things come out of adversity," Toovey said.
"This team has had several challenges put before them in the past and they've risen above and conquered those challenges."
Without Hasler's respected and proven leadership, Toovey has had to rely even more on the club's senior playing group to ensure there is no premiership hangover.
And he says the work done by the team's experienced campaigners, in particular co-captains Jason King and Jamie Lyon, has left him with no doubt that this season will be a success despite an inauspicious pre-season which yielded losses to the Sharks and also to Leeds in the World Club Challenge.
"Their mental toughness that they pass on to those other surrounding players and less experienced players is very valuable for the coaching staff," Toovey said.
Toovey believes Manly are well placed to cover the loss of Robertson and Hopoate, with former Australian representative David Williams returning to full fitness after breaking his neck last season and young gun Michael Oldfield ready to make his mark on first grade.
NZN