Melbourne prop Brett White says his NRL team can't try any harder, but will keep searching for reasons behind their erratic form.

Coach Craig Bellamy as well as his players are mystified - and frustrated - about the side's inconsistent form, with their attack the latest part of their game to fall apart.

They sank to their second successive defeat for the first time this season - a 20-12 loss to the defending champions Manly at Olympic Park, despite having the bulk of possession.

They still managed to hang on to a coveted top-four position on the NRL table, although White said they were now in a must-win situation.

"It was disappointing, we certainly put the effort in," he said.

"We started well ... I know all the boys tried so hard and that sort of makes it a harder one as well, when everyone puts in.

"We've put ourselves in a situation now where it's must win from here on in, that's what it comes down to if we want a home semi."

And given the side had only won twice away from Olympic Park this season, the home semi was all the more important, White said.

"Especially with our Olympic Park advantage it's very important for us," he said.

Bellamy lambasted their attack against Manly as "limp", coming just a week after he slammed their "soft" defence in their loss to Newcastle.

They have passed 20 points only twice in the last eight weeks and against Manly looked clueless close to the line.

"We'd love to know," White said when asked about the form slump.

"It's no through lack of trying, it's a combination of different things, we play so well for parts of the game and drop off, we need to have that consistency for 80 minutes.

"we're running out of chances to get some form so we've got to do that quickly."

The Storm desperately missed the attacking penetration of star centre Greg Inglis, with his ability to break the line.

Depending on the outcome of his court appearance on assault charges on Wednesday, he could be back for their penultimate match against the Sydney Roosters in Melbourne on Saturday night.

But White said Inglis wasn't the sole solution to their woes.

"We could have lost him to an injury, we don't want to have to rely on any player," he said.

"Any team with Greg Inglis is different but ... it shouldn't make a difference.

"We've got enough quality players to get the job done but unfortunately we haven't got that done for the last two weeks."

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