They've long been a club everyone loves to hate and now Manly are drawing the ire of rivals on a new battleground.

Angry western Sydney clubs have gone to the NSWRL to voice their frustration over the Sea Eagles' recruitment of under-age players from their catchment areas and now they are ready to take action themselves in an effort to thwart the raiding of their rich junior nurseries.

While Trent Barrett's first-grade side is in the race for a top-four finish after an impressive win over Sydney Roosters on Sunday, there has also been success for Manly in the junior ranks this year. The Sea Eagles made the grand final of the Harold Matthews under-16 representative competition for the first time with the team coached by Brett Fulton – son of Immortal and Manly football department boss Bob – suffering a narrow defeat to Newcastle at Leichhardt Oval.

There was a Hopoate (Albert) and a Trbojevic (Ben) in the Manly line-up but there were also others recruited from outside the northern beaches. And it is Manly's use of those out-of-area players that has left Canterbury, Parramatta and Western Suburbs unimpressed about the way their junior talent is being picked off.