Figures stack up for full-on finals assault Joe Barton Manly Daily 08Sep07 HEAD Sea Eagles conditioner Don Singe has declared that Manly have prepared perfectly for an epic finals assault. Singe's claims are backed up by SportsData statistics which reveal Manly are the competition's most effective side in the final 20 minutes of a match. The fitness guru told fans not to worry about a dip in form over the past month where Manly have not outscored their opponent in the final quarter once, in stark contrast to their previous 21 rounds. ``There is nothing to worry about,'' Singe said. ``A lot of people will look at our form in the past three weeks and have particular concerns about being able to maintain our consistencies in the second half. ``But we have a target in mind, in very simplistic terms it's all about petrol tanks, and we need to make sure that the petrol tank is full for the finals. ``These men have been physically under the pump over the past month. ``Regardless of the results in the past three matches I assure you these men have been preparing for the next four weeks.'' During the week The Manly Daily uncovered data which confirms that Manly step up in the final quarter of each match. Manly have been bettered only five times over the final quarter in matches this year - astonishing considering their past month. Up until round 23, Manly's only lapses occurred in round four, a win over the New Zealand Warriors, and the round 15 loss to the Bulldogs. Even premiership favourites the Melbourne Storm aren't as rock solid in the back end of a game - they've been outscored on eight occasions as the match winds down. Singe puts it down to fitness work that the club have focused on all year. ``Our fitness is one of the definite factors in our defensive efforts and backing up in the second halves,'' he said. ``It's a fine line, and a genuine combination of our fitness and our game plans, which have a tremendous amount of work put into them.''
