Trent Hodkinson favoured to return to Manly after positive meeting with the Sea Eagles
TRENT Hodkinson’s tumultuous Newcastle career has moved a step closer to ending after he had a positive meeting with Manly officials on Tuesday about a return to Brookvale.
Hodkinson’s Knights tenure is in limbo following the signings of Mitchell Pearce and Connor Watson, plus the emergence of young guns Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger.
The Sea Eagles had been linked to Lamb as a five-eighth replacement following Blake Green’s departure to the Warriors, but Newcastle won’t release the local Maitland junior.
This leaves Hodkinson with no choice but to leave the Hunter to continue his NRL career.
The former NSW Origin half wants to keep playing and Manly would be a perfect fit as they require a five-eighth and goal kicker following Green’s exit.
Sea Eagles CEO Lyall Gorman told The Daily Telegraph the meeting with Hodkinson was “productive”, but no formal offer was tabled.
“We are in no rush to fill the final position in our roster, as we want to get it right” Gorman said.
“We have a few options at five-eighth, including Trent, and we will go through the process.”
Newcastle are prepared to release Hodkinson with a year to run on his contract to return to Manly and partner Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves — the man who replaced him when he left Brookvale after 24 games in 2010.
The Sea Eagles have a whopping $800,000 to spend on a five-eighth next season — but coach Trent Barrett won’t be bustled into a hasty decision.
Barrett previously said one of the club’s existing halves at Manly — Lachlan Croker, Jackson Hastings or Cameron Cullen — could step-up and partner Cherry-Evans.
“I just want to sit back and wait,” Barrett told The Daily Telegraph last week. “I’m not going to waste the money.
“I have a few options already at the club — Croker, Cullen and Hastings.
“If there is any fallout from the Mitchell Pearce decision … we will monitor that over the next few weeks and see what happens.
“We have some money, there’s enough there. It’s still only November so we’re in a good position.”
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