NRL Grand Final: It was Manly's night - Cleary

The Warriors sit dejected after losing the NRL grand final. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Aaron Heremaia hid his head in a towel. Lance Hohaia was close to tears after ending his Warriors career the way he started by losing a grand final and the disappointment on the face of Micheal Luck, who is as demonstrative as they came, told more than words could.

The pain of losing yesterday's grand final against Manly will take some time to heal. The players have the summer to mull over it but pride should start to take over.

Manly are the best side of the modern era and would have won more titles if Melbourne hadn't found disgraceful ways to get to the top.

No team would have beaten them on Sunday night. They were tough, relentless, skillful and composed. They were the best side all season and deserved to win the grand final.

It's one of the great unknowns what might have happened if two crucial refereeing decisions had gone the Warriors' way in the first half, especially the try on the stroke of halftime when Heremaia was blatantly obstructed from making a tackle in the leadup to Daly Cherry-Evans' try, but it probably didn't change the result.

"I just got the feeling it was Manly's night,'' departing Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said. "It wasn't to be. It was a bitter pill to swallow the try just before halftime.

"I don't want to take anything away from Manly. they had a great season. It was a bit of destiny for them tonight and good luck to them. They deserve to be premiers.''

The Warriors certainly proved they deserved to be there. Unlike the side of 2002, they didn't buckle under the weight of pressure. Instead, they finished the stronger of the two sides, belying the fact they were playing their sixth games in the last seven weeks away from home and were striving to become the first side outside the top four to win the NRL.

It used to be said about Warriors sides that they would be beaten in the last 20 minutes. Not this time.

"We felt we were a chance,'' second-rower Feleti Mateo said. "The last month, other than the Broncos game [when we were beaten 40-10] we have been coming home really strong. I think some stats were thrown up that in 11 of our last 12 games we haven't conceded a try in the last 20 minutes.''

It's the type of fortitude that has won Manly two titles in the last four years. They were beaten in the 2007 grand final before winning it 12 months later and there's every hope the Warriors can replicate that, too.

"Losing a grand final always hurts,'' said Mateo, who was with the Eels when they were 'beaten' by Melbourne 23-16 in 2009. "It's how you react to it. I am trying to stay strong for the team and trying not to get too emotional. It doesn't mean I care less. A few of the younger boys are taking it hard. I just want to be strong for them and hopefully be a leader for them.

"This is the first year of solid first grade for many of the boys. They will be better for it. I have heard you have to lose one to win one. It's not the case for me but hopefully the case for most of the others boys who played today. It's just a stepping stone hopefully to bigger and better things in the future.''