THERE'S lifting the stakes, and there's blasting them into the stratosphere. Former Balmain hooker Ben Elias has urged Manly to make their second consecutive grand-final appearance on Sunday count - because the future of their club could depend on it.

Elias was part of the Balmain team that lost two grand finals in a row in 1988-89. The former Test and Origin rake admitted the club was never the same again, culminating in the Tigers forming a joint venture with Western Suburbs. The club won its next premiership in 2005.

While Manly has already been down the merger path - a disastrous partnership with North Sydney - and is now financially stable under the private ownership of property developer Max Delmege, there remain similarities between Elias's Tigers and Des Hasler's Sea Eagles.

The Tigers were underdogs in 1988, when they lost to Canterbury in the grand final, before heading into the following season's decider against Canberra as favourites - losing in one of the most gripping encounters of all time. The Sea Eagles were belted last year by the heavily favoured Melbourne, before being installed as the favourites for their rematch.

"We were never the same, from the coach right through to the ball boy," Elias said. "Especially when you're expected to win. That's my biggest message to them. It really would be a cultural disaster."

Elias was, predictably as one of the most important members of his side, heavily involved in the crucial moments of the 1989 decider. A vital drop-goal attempt in the second half, which would have clinched the game for the Tigers, hit the crossbar.

"Personally, I was very fortunate to be in two grand finals, but you live with it [two defeats] for the rest of your life," Elias said. "We were expected to win that second one, and that's something all rugby league supporters, for the rest of your life, remind you. I've been out of the game for 15 years and they still remind me."

While the Tigers made the finals the following season, they were eliminated on the opening weekend, and never made the finals again until the joint venture was formed.

Garry Jack, Balmain's fullback in the successive grand finals, said the 19-14 extra-time defeat against Canberra was "the end of an era for us".

"We lost and that was it - we were never the same after that," he said. "It's obviously crucial for them. Losing two was just devastating - jogging back [against Canberra] leading 12-2 halfway through the second half, for a flashing second I thought, 'We've got this.'

"It would be devastating if they lose. They've really got to take their chance. Most guys are lucky to play in one, and to play in two is great, but they've got to make it count. They've got to take their chances when they come, because not many blokes play in three. Twenty years later, I still think about it - we came up with nothing."

At the Wests Tigers grand-final luncheon yesterday at Leichhardt, there was significant backing for the Sea Eagles to reverse last year's defeat. Fullback Brett Hodgson, heading to English club Huddersfield next season, predicted a Manly win, but "only just".

"They've got their full complement of players," he said. "It's all about having continuity there."

Tigers hooker Robbie Farah also opted for the Sea Eagles. "[Storm skipper] Cameron Smith not being there is a big loss," Farah said. "They survived without him last week [against Cronulla], but I think Manly will exploit the fact that he's not there better.

"Melbourne have been a little down on form over the last month or two, but Manly have been peaking at the right time of year. Everything's pointing towards Manly."