Manly Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey says his side is not seeking retribution against Melbourne Storm tonight

MANLY coach Geoff Toovey is adamant tonight's rematch against Melbourne is not about retribution.

Manly Storm

MANLY coach Geoff Toovey is adamant tonight's rematch against Melbourne is about proving the premiers can still compete with the team he now rates as the "benchmark" - and not about retribution.

It's the first time these two heavyweights have faced off since the infamous Battle of Brookvale last August, but Toovey said the wild brawl that marred that match was no longer a motivation for his players.

"For us it's about what it represents in relation to the top four," Toovey said. "If you look at the competition table, it is very close for those below Melbourne. And for us to push our claim for the top four, we need to string some wins together.

"We are a team that likes to rise to the challenge and this is a challenge."

In Toovey's mind, Melbourne are the team to beat this year.

"Melbourne are the best side, so they are a benchmark," he said.

Asked what impact he expects last year's fight to have on tonight's clash, Toovey said straight-faced: "There was a little bit of a fracas that broke out last year but there was nothing in it, really."

Nothing in it?

"Well, nothing really happened," he said, laughing. "That (fight) was focused on, particularly in the media, but we've gone past it. The rivalry comes from us being two top-quality sides. It is always a tight encounter and that always adds to the spice because fans turn up to watch great contests and that atmosphere adds to how the players perform."

After an inconsistent start to the season marred by injuries and suspensions, Toovey is confident Manly are ready to show they are on course to challenge for back-to-back titles.

"The injuries and suspensions have hurt us," he said.

"It's no excuse but the last few weeks have been improving.

"Against teams above us on the competition ladder we seem to perform better."

Asked if this was Manly's biggest challenge of the season - even with Melbourne without the injured Billy Slater - Toovey said: "It's hard to say. I don't think it is the biggest challenge because our first game was tough.

"We came back from a trip overseas where we lost the World Club Challenge and then had to fly out four or five days later to New Zealand to play the team we played in the grand final."Billy is a big loss for them. He is their top tryscorer and a wonderful attacking weapon. But the players they have around Billy Slater are still there."

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