AFTER scoring his first try of the season yesterday, Manly back-rower Steve Menzies - the most prolific point-scoring forward in premiership history - declared his days of long-range touchdowns were over.

As the Sea Eagles stormed home with four unanswered second-half tries to record an impressive win over an injury-struck Brisbane side, 34-year-old Menzies turned back the clock when he sped past Broncos fullback Karmichael Hunt to put the visitors ahead for the first time in the 52nd minute.

It was the 139th try of a remarkable career spanning 16 seasons but as he nears retirement, Menzies said he now only had the pace to score from near the tryline and admitted surprise at the ease with which he beat Hunt.

"I'm not sure what he was doing. I'm sure he could have got me if he was serious but I think I'm very, very good over 12 metres," Menzies said. "If it had been 22m, I wouldn't have got there. Years ago, I was all right but these days 12m is about my limit. I'm serious. All the tries I scored last year were from no more than 15m out, that was it. But it was my first try of the year so I'm extremely happy to get one."

Making him even happier was the fact the Sea Eagles now appear to have overcome a slow start to the season - as well as in yesterday's game - to again show they will be premiership contenders, and the win has them joining a host of teams in equal second place behind the Titans.

Despite trailing 10-0 midway through the first half, the Manly players and coach Des Hasler always felt in control, and their counterparts conceded they had spent most of the match just trying to hang on.

But whether or not the win was enough to secure Brent Kite a place in the NSW Origin team to be named tomorrow remains to be seen, and his teammates spoke out afterwards in support of the Test prop.

"I'd find it hard to see how you could get into an Australian team and not into a state side," said fullback Brett Stewart, who dispelled any doubts about his fitness after missing last week's City-Country match with a calf injury and is expected to be a certain selection for the Blues.

"I think he showed everyone today how good he is after backing up from Friday. I think he was one of our best players today."

Asked how he felt about the report in last Tuesday's Herald that he may miss out on the Blues side, Kite said: "When you come out of the Test and you hear you are in doubt for the Origin, it's a sign of how things work these days but what are you going to do about it except play your best footy and cross your fingers. I think Craig Bellamy is a good coach so if I'm in the side I'd be happy."

Kite also crossed for a try after interchange hooker Heath L'Estrange put him into a yawning gap in the 58th minute.

The try swung momentum the Sea Eagles' way after the try by Menzies and an earlier one to centre Steve Bell in the 48th minute, and Stewart sealed the win nine minutes before full-time. "Obviously, they were a bit depleted with Darren Lockyer, Justin Hodges and Tonie Carroll out but to beat any Brisbane team up here is an achievement in itself," Stewart said. "At half-time, we were only six behind and we took a bit of confidence out of that because they had a lot of ball. It's hard to compare to last year but we're pretty happy with how we're going."