Daly Cherry-Evans couldn’t escape the memory of his maiden clash with Melbourne at Brookvale from 2011 even if he wanted to.
Exactly seven years ago on Monday, the night famous for Adam Blair and Glenn Stewart’s punches, was the Manly captain’s first taste of playing Melbourne at home.
And even if Cherry-Evans doesn’t recall it all, the numerous online and television highlights packages are constantly there to remind him.
The initial all-in brawl, the second fight that cleared the benches and a stadium on edge, as a rivalry that had dominated the NRL for five years reached boiling point.
“It (the footage) pops up every now and then actually,” Cherry-Evans said.
“When we play Melbourne you always see the highlights.
“It’s obviously really funny to look back on and see how intense that night was.
“It was crazy, I may as well have watched it from the coach’s box. I was that far away … I think I was tying my shoelaces up.
“It was my first year of first grade and I didn’t know what the hell was going on.”
Saturday night’s game at Brookvale is the biggest between the two teams at the ground since.
Melbourne can wrap up the minor premiership with a win against a team that beat them just last month, while Manly have a top-four spot on the line.
Cherry-Evans is the only Manly player left from the famous Battle of Brookvale. On the other side, only Cameron Smith remains.
For Cherry-Evans’ part, he believes that kind of furious rivalry is long gone, reasoning that disappeared with the players that left both clubs.
But other Sea Eagles aren’t so sure.
Hooker Api Koroisau admits to have having watched the brawl recently enough, and points to last year’s fight between Dylan Walker and Curtis Scott in Melbourne to show tensions still run high.
“I know exactly how it (2011) went, it was amazing really,” Koroisau told AAP.
“We had a blue last year. Every time we have played them there has always been a bit of bark and sometimes some bite.
“We look forward to playing them and there is definitely that rivalry there.”
Manly won the battle on the scoreboard in that 2011 match, and went on to take the premiership title.
On Saturday, they can become the first team to beat Melbourne twice this season, having recently conquered both them and Canberra on the road.
“We’ve obviously got belief,” Cherry-Evans said.
“If you don’t have belief at this stage of the year then you are kidding yourself and you’re not playing finals football.
“They’re at the top of the ladder for a reason, but we’re looking forward to playing them. It’s nice to test yourself against the best.”