Manly linchpin Kieran Foran admits tension between the Sea Eagles and the Wests Tigers has simmered in recent seasons as the fierce NRL rivals prepare for battle on Friday night.

A feisty clash at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium in round 20 last year set the tone for this week's rematch at the same venue.

But re-emerging reports about an equally fiery pre-season charity cricket match have reignited a feud that is reminiscent of the fibros-silvertails days of the 1970s.

"I'm not too sure where it started," Foran told reporters on Wednesday.

"I think it's escalated over the last couple of years just in previous matches.

"I know our boys look forward to coming up against them and I'm sure they do with us."

Last year Manly enforcer Steve Matai was sin-binned in an ill-tempered clash for a shot on Tigers captain Robbie Farah.

Sea Eagles players claimed Farah had taken a dive, a claim Farah laughed off.

"I think that's kind of egged it on a little bit, that incident last year," Foran said.

"I'm sure Matai will want to get one back on him.

"It's just going to be a great game."

Officials expect a massive crowd, with the seventh-placed Tigers desperate to cling to their spot in the top eight and second-placed Manly equally keen to challenge for a second chance come finals time.

A reminder of the strained relationship between the two sides came with Rugby League Week reporting there was a fiery cricket match played before the season kicked off.

The Tigers reportedly refused to attend a post-match function after Manly roped in several A-grade cricketers.

Farah declared he would be looking for revenge when his side took on the Sea Eagles, the report said.

"I don't know if there was ill-feeling in the cricket match," Manly prop Brent Kite said.

"It was good of them to come over.

"It's definitely a friendly rivalry but it has produced a couple of good games of footy in recent times."

An insight into Manly's hard-headed approach could be found as they invited the media to a head-shaving in aid of the Little M Foundation - which supports children with the movement control disability Secondary Dystonia - in their team meeting room.

On the wall was posted a quote from Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith, whose side take on the Sea Eagles again in round 22.

"They come to work hard, and they bend everybody," Smith said after the Roosters' 27-16 round two loss.

"They bend themselves - they bend their backs and work hard - they bend the rules, they bend the referees, they bend us. And they bent us right over today.

"They just play hard. They play any way they can to win, which is a good, hard professional attitude to have."

Kite said coach Des Hasler might have forgotten to take the quote down.

"You talk about your brand of footy," Kite said.

"It's nice to hear things like that from a respected guy like Brian, only in a positive sort of way.

"If we're doing some of those things that were quoted, we're sort of going OK as a team."

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