'Cup of tea and a KitKat': DCE and Foz's nightmare recovery

Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans have 'copped our medicine' after their fairytale Manly reunion finished in a combined 12 missed tackles, four errors, two more kicks sent dead and the worst game Cherry-Evans can remember playing.

While Foran conceded he "couldn't bring myself" to watch the worst round one loss in Manly history, Cherry-Evans had last Saturday's 46-4 thumping on repeat just hours later, settling in at home with "a cup of tea and a Kit-Kat" to digest the Roosters flogging.

No doubt coach Des Hasler has analysed the season-opening shocker every which way as well, but he is backing basically the same 17 against South Sydney with few changes made.

The dire result has not put Hasler's two-year extension, expected to be announced this week, in jeopardy.

But the "embarrassing" performance made for the unhappiest of homecomings for Foran, who partnered 2011 premiership teammate Cherry-Evans at the scrumbase for the first time since 2015.

Foran's left edge defensive combination alongside Brad Parker and Jack Gosiewski was badly exposed by Roosters stars James Tedesco and Luke Keary, conceding the first seven tries of the SCG thrashing.

Cherry-Evans had the worst outing he could recall from 237 games, punting the ball out on the full, dead in-goal and making seven missed tackles as well as everything that could go wrong, simply did.

"I had one last year against the Dragons where I had a few noticeably big errors, I think three in the first half, but this was an overall bad game," the Queensland and Manly captain conceded on Tuesday.

"So nothing pops into memory but I haven't started a season like this in a while.

"That's the positive, it can't get any worse.

"I've been guilty of that in the past, trying too hard. I just obviously wasn't executing. It might look the same to everyone which is fine but there's a big difference between me overplaying my hand and just not having a good day."

Of his own personal video review session late on Saturday night, Cherry-Evans said: "It was harder to watch than it was physically to experience. 

"You are not going to get better if you don't understand what is happening, how it happened and how you fix it.

"I would say I've watched more losses than I have wins. Wins are easy ones to make you feel good about yourself, but the losses are the real ones where you learn a lot about yourself."

Foran too pulled no punches and expects to be a defensive target when South Sydney travel to the Northern Beaches.

The hard yards Manly had put in over summer is what left him "heartbroken" by the thrashing, not his own return to maroon and white going so awry.

"You can't get your mind off something like that," he said.

"You try, we all try our different ways to get on with it and live life but the reality is this is our job. This is what we do.

"I just felt horribly disappointed for our fans too and our members."

Hasler has largely stuck by last week's starting side, with only Andrew Davey coming onto Foran's left edge as Gosiewski drops back to the bench.

Cade Cust's hat-trick for feeder side Blacktown has seen him jag a bench spot as back-up hooker to Lachlan Croker while Sean Keppie also replaces Morgan Boyle.

Manly's edges proved a defensive issue last season as well, part of a dismal slide that has seen the Sea Eagles concede an average of 36.1 points per game from their last 10 outings.

Foran maintains faith in the combination with Parker and Gosiewski/Davey, but acknowledges the likes of Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds will be directing plenty of traffic his way again come Saturday.

"There's no denying we leaked a tonne of points there," Foran said.

"I'm sure they'll be having a look and wanting to come there but I've got complete confidence in our edge that we'll be able to turn things around and turn them away."

NRL Magic Round Brisbane 1-Day Passes are now on sale with eight massive games across round 10 at Suncorp Stadium this May. With the league's best players all heading to Brisbane, you'd hate to miss it! Tickets at NRL.com/Tickets