Croker was criticised for Manly's golden-point loss to Newcastle in round one.

But on Sunday the playmaker scored a try, set up another and was outstanding in he massive 54-0 victory.

"Surely the monkey’s off his back now," Cherry-Evans said.

"Surely you guys are going to leave him alone. He’s a first-grader, he fits in perfectly in our group. There’s no question about him being in this side, based on his individual strengths and qualities as a football player.

"We’ve just got to continue winning games and those questions go away. Hopefully today was a step in the right direction and you guys can leave him alone and start credit him for being a first-grader."

Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett also praised the former Canberra half.

"It’s his third game and he dominated that game at important moments," Barrett said.

"It was a great win and just a really good performance at home. It was tough conditions to play in for both teams and I’m really proud of our effort, particularly the nil. We controlled the ball really well.

"I was confident we’d played well today but I certainly didn’t expect the scoreline it ended up at. It gives us a lot of confidence."