Fresh from recording their first win on the road in more than a year, the Dolphins return to their home court on Sunday with a clash against Manly.

The match against the Sea Eagles is the first of a stretch of home games which could make or break their season.

An away trip to Coffs Harbour is the only match the Dolphins will have to hit the road in the next seven matches.

Coach Mark Champion admitted it could be seen as a mini-season within a season.

“If we come out the other side having won six of our next seven games and look at the table and we’re eight wins and five losses we’ll find ourselves in a different situation to what we’re in now,” he said.

“If we want to be a top eight team Manly are a team we need to beat.”

Despite Manly’s lofty position on the ladder, Champion knows they will have no excuses if Port Macquarie don’t win.

The Dolphins face the Eagles at a good time as the match in Port Macquarie is a little more than 12 hours after they play at Coffs Harbour.

With a run of home games creates an expectation the Dolphins can build on their wins against Springwood and Hawkesbury last weekend.

“In a way it does create pressure, but I see it as motivation rather than an expectation to do well,” Champion said.

“It also relieves pressure too because we can’t afford to be tentative because there is no margin for error.”

The Dolphins coach wanted to change opposition coaches’ belief that the Dolphins were improving. He wants more than that.

“It’s one thing to be competitive, but we can’t be happy with being competitive. We want to win games,” he said.

“We have to put ourselves back in contention for the play-offs where teams will look at us differently.

“It gives us an opportunity to earn back that respect where we’re better than just a team languishing at the bottom of the table.”

Champion knows they must win the majority of their remaining games – including matches against Tamworth and Coffs Harbour.

“We haven’t given up on the playoffs, but we need to maintain our consistency,” he said.