Knights half Tyson Gamble says he is "not surprised at all" by how well Manly are performing under new coach Anthony Seibold.
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The five-eighth, who joined Newcastle in the off-season from Brisbane, played under Seibold during the mentor's short-lived tenure at the Broncos.
Seibold coached 38 games at the flagship Queensland club, winning only 14 but making the finals in 2019 before his contract was terminated late the next season.
It was Seibold who actually gave Gamble, who joined the Broncos on a development deal in 2020, his Brisbane debut mid-season that year as the side struggled for form.
Gamble, who went on to play 24 games for the club and establish himself as a handy NRL playmaker, maintains a high opinion of the now Manly coach despite his ill-fated Broncos stint.
"Seibs is a really good coach. He knows the game really well," Gamble told the Newcastle Herald.
"Obviously his time at Brisbane was a bit rough ... but at the end of the day, Seibs is a really good coach and it's showing now."
Knights coach Adam O'Brien hired Seibold as a part-time coaching consultant in 2021, the season after he left Brisbane. He had previously coached South Sydney and then spent much of last year working with the England rugby union team as Eddie Jones' assistant.
Seibold took charge at Manly in November after Des Hasler was sacked following last season. The Sea Eagles had finished 11th and missed the finals after running fourth the year before.
But after four rounds this season, the club is placed equal second following two wins, a loss and a bye.
Under Seibold, Manly - who also won the NRL's Pre-Season Challenge tournament - have had high-scoring wins over Canterbury (31-6) and Parramatta (34-30) before losing in golden point to South Sydney (13-12) at the weekend.
Gamble said the players had clearly responded to Seibold, who also has former premiership-winning Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan and the experienced Jim Dymock as his assistants.
"He's really tactical and knows the game really well," Gamble said of Seibold.
"He's got Daly [Cherry-Evans] there who has been around for a while, Tommy 'Turbo' is a really smart footballer and they've got pieces around those two that are working really good together.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that he is coaching well and Manly are going well.
"We'll have to be on our game to take the two points from them this week."
After scoring their second win of the season on Sunday, beating Canberra 24-14 at home, the Knights face arguably their toughest opponent this campaign in the Sea Eagles.
They departed Newcastle yesterday for Saturday's 3pm match in Mudgee.
Knights back-rower Brodie Jones said while it was important to focus on Manly's "strike players", Newcastle's forwards would have to be formidable defensively.
"It's going to be a tough test," he said. "They're big, strong, physical boys.
"If we can match it with them and our discipline is a lot better than what it was against the Dolphins, if we can pretty well simulate the game we had last week and match it with their forwards, it will go a long way to winning."
Jones, who has made 45 NRL appearances, is enjoying consistent footy having played the past three games, as well as the last eight of 2022.
"Nothing compares to match fitness," he said.
"The first few, the trials and stuff, I was a little bit underdone and not playing how I wanted to play.
"But I'm slowly getting back to ... where I want to be, and getting my confidence back."
In the last year of his contract, the 24-year-old Cessnock junior is relishing more playing time in the middle, rather than on an edge.
"You get to tackle more people," he said.
"It gets you involved in the game a little bit more. It's more fun playing in the middle, I think.
"I've always loved the defensive side and that's what I pride myself on."
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