Manly coach Geoff Toovey was proud of his team's defensive effort, especially when the penalty count was eight to two against them at one point.
"I'm really proud of our boys and how they defended and it was worthy of a semi-final and I think both sides will probably be there hopefully at the end of the year," he says.
Captain Jamie Lyon agreed that the intensity was up to semi-final standard and was the level they needed to be hitting with four matches remaining.
"That's the football you've got to play at this time of year if you want to play in the semis and play against the good sides you have to play that grinding game every week and it's good we got back to that grinding way I think," Lyon says.
Cowboys captain Matt Scott said they had frustrated themselves in attack, not playing at their best in a game they were capable of winning.
"We had too many dropped balls and the ends of sets weren't quite on the money so I think that was the issue, we need to put a bit more pressure on them to tire them defensively and the joy comes off the back of that," he says.
Toovey said injury concerns to Steve Matai and Anthony Watmough were not serious while Henry didn't believe the shoulder injury to halfback Michael Morgan would require scans.
NZN