The 1990 and 1991 seasons saw the club return to the finals football, but no premierships. The 1990 side, coached by former New Zealand and Wigan head coach Graham Lowe who had replaced 1989 coach Alan Thompson who had been sacked after failing to make the finals, started slow but eventually finished the regular season in fourth and facing Balmain in the first week of the finals, which the Sea Eagles won. However, a tryless effort against the Broncos in the second week saw the club go no further in their campaign. One of Lowe's biggest recruits for Manly in 1990 was goal kicking former All Blacks fullback Matthew Ridge. Such was Ridge's form after coming over from rugby union that he was selected to the New Zealand test team after only 5 games for the Sea Eagles.