After overcoming an 18-point deficit against Canberra last Sunday to eventually win 26-24, the Rabbitohs found themselves in a similar situation yesterday.

Behind by 24 points against Manly, at 30-6, Souths players had another dig, scoring three tries in 14 minutes to clamber to within eight points at 30-22, but this time it was as close as they got and that was how the game finished.

But if you were looking for despondent faces in the Rabbitohs dressing room, there were very few. The reason: coach John Lang was a reasonably happy man.

"The better team won. I was pleased we got back as we could to them. I was happy with the fightback," Lang said. "I'd rather be beaten by eight than 28."

Souths slipped from fifth to sixth on the ladder with their fourth loss for the season. They stuttered into season 2010 with two straight losses first up, but then went on a roll with three straight wins.

However, the stuttering is back with a loss to Parramatta followed by a win over the Raiders and then the loss to Manly.

But again Lang told his troops the only way to find consistency was to match themselves against one of the top sides and see how they fared.

"If they're not the best side in the comp, they're pretty close to it," Lang said. "I can't think of a better one off the top of my head.

"They were really focused; they played strongly; they executed well, so when they do that, they're very hard to beat.

"We should have been closer at half time. But I was glad of the way we came back, it's good for our for-and-against. For the boys it's also good to measure yourself against a side like Manly.

"We could have played better than what we did, even allowing for the fact they were a better side.

"But I thought our effort was good and to play against them when they're `on' is good for us.

"They are a very strong side and they're going to be one of the sides at the business end. So we know the standard. Today, we showed that we're not up with them yet but we're on the improve."

Souths also gets a decent rest. It only has two players on representative duty on Friday night - Beau Champion for NSW City Origin and Issac Luke for New Zealand - and they have a bye for round nine. In round 10, against the Wests Tigers on May 16, former Kiwis prop Roy Asotasi will be back from a knee injury.