Manly have been called every name under the sun, but Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler added a new moniker to the high flying Sea Eagles: "blue collar".

Manly's seven-game unbeaten stretch has lifted them into the outright NRL lead and prompted many to question whether the `Silvertails' have surpassed reigning premiers Melbourne as the competition benchmarks.

Fittler says it's debatable whether the Sea Eagles are better than the Storm yet, but believes they're the best bunch of workers in the NRL.

"They seem to be playing a brand (of football where) 17 players all put their blue collars on and they all work hard for each other," said Fittler ahead of his clash with Manly this Sunday.

"Their combinations are really working and they just seem to be composed the whole way through the game.

"They're sitting on top and I just think they're certainly playing good semi-final football and just wearing sides down and they seem pretty hard to crack."

Fittler says the Sea Eagles' clinical attacking pressure is their greatest asset.

In Manly's 42-0 round 13 drubbing of the Roosters at Brookvale Oval the Sea Eagles persistence led to a landslide of five tries in 18 minutes.

The next week versus the Warriors it was two late tries in seven minutes, then three in 15 against Newcastle, four in 17 over the Gold Coast, four in 23 to stun Cronulla and the same last week over Parramatta.

"They bashed up on us pretty good over there," recalled Fittler.

"They just wore us down at the back end of the game ... they are pretty good at that.

"They can make a team that has tried their best look pretty ordinary.

"Their last couple of wins have all come down to the back end of the game so not only have you got to get there you also have to be fit and fast cause they will keep coming at you."

The Sea Eagles received somewhat positive news on Monday with five-eighth Jamie Lyon ruled out for only four to six weeks with scans confirming a slight medial ligament knee strain.

Prop Jason King was cleared of a fractured ankle but ligament damage has still ruled him out indefinitely.

His injury is almost identical to the one that cost him 11 weeks earlier in the season but Sea Eagles officials are hopeful both players will return before the finals.

Newcastle received a massive boost with skipper Danny Buderus set to return from his knee injury this weekend against South Sydney along with Steve Simpson (quadriceps).

Halfback Jarrod Mullen should also be fit to play after scans revealed he has a bruised hip pointer which is expected to respond to treatment.

Gold Coast had mixed news with playmaker Mat Rogers escaping censure for a high tackle but ruled out for a couple of weeks anyway due to a rib injury.

Tireless hooker Nathan Friend was cleared of a suspected fractured collarbone and should be fit to play Canberra on Saturday.

South Sydney hooker Issac Luke faces a one week ban for a grade one dangerous throw charge unless he can successfully beat the rap.

Newcastle were fined $5000 by the NRL for comments made by chief executive Steve Burraston questioning the impartiality of referees.

Burraston claimed referees had preconceived ideas about his side's discipline and NRL chief executive David Gallop explained his comments clearly overstepped the guidelines set by the league in regards to criticising match officials.

"We have been very clear about which comments will attract a fine and to accuse referees of having a pre-conceived idea of how a match should go is a direct attack on a referee's integrity and a clear breach of those rules," Gallop said.

"There is plenty of scope to criticise a referee's performance but to question his integrity is not acceptable."

Newcastle have five days to respond to the breach notice.

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