Manly received encouragement from a most unlikely source after their fighting 30-18 loss to Sydney University on Saturday.

After helping put the Marlins to the sword, Wallabies flanker Phil Waugh urged the peninsula club not to give up hope of reaching the finals despite being 14 points adrift of the top six.

Manly lost few friends in pushing a Students side containing Waugh, Dean Mumm and a host of fellow rep-class players all the way at a sun-drenched Uni Oval.

Waugh said of the Marlins: "They are a good side. They scrambled well in defence and kept on going for the full 80 minutes.

"It was a tough game. They had a good defensive line and hung in well and used the wind better than what we did.

"They did very well. I wouldn't be giving up on the season if I was them."

Waugh was talking after experiencing a Manly fightback first hand.

The home side raced to a 30-6 lead after an hour courtesy of a tries to Waugh, Jerry Yanuyanutawa and Lachlan Rosengreen.

The Marlins could have been excused for folding at that point but instead went the other way.

Luke Johnson and Adam D'Arcy both crossed for late tries as their side finished more than respectable 12-point losers.

No-one in blue has given up hope of contesting the play-offs.

"It was a good effort. The boys played with the same attitude that we showed against Warringah," prop James Lakepa said.

"We are playing as a team and playing for each other.

"We haven’t given up on the finals - not at all. We can probably afford to lose another two or three and still make it.

"The games coming up in the next few weeks are must-wins."

The first of those must-win encounters looms on Saturday when Manly travels south to meet last-placed South Districts at Forshaw Rugby Park.