2026 recruitment & retention

[SeaEagleRock8]

Klemmer an interesting one. Initially I thought "please no". However watching a few Dragons games recently he runs straight and hard and has a very quick play the ball. A guy I work with is a Dragons member (goes to all games) and he said "Klemmer may be a bit past it but he has tightened up our middle. Hard to fault him really". Q: Is he better than Lodge, Sipley? Possibly good value at a 1 year deal.

One thing he has is durability, has rarely missed games throughout his career.
He's probably been putting his best foot forward in recent times as his contract is expiring

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We need to break out of the cycle of signing players at the end f their careers. We don't need anymore we need youth and speed.

 

[Not Paul Kent]

We need to break out of the cycle of signing players at the end f their careers. We don't need anymore we need youth and speed.

We do, but who on the market right now fits what we need?

We have salary cap being freed up in 2027. We need some one year stop gaps.

 

[349]

If we are thinking of signing Klemmer we should have resigned Sipley as similar player and dollars. Disappointing Jazz is going he looked good at lock and means Jake could play prop. Paseka, Tak, Jake and Bully not a bad prop rotation, Navale cover injuries. We need a hooker and a lock that can both tackle and have footwork and speed.

 

[manly al]

Be helpful if the medical retirement issues with Aloioa could be finally clarified
Would be interesting how the planning for the forward line up is being directed right now
Aloioa , Sipps and Jazz not on the books next season so a bit of coin there to try and get the right type of replacements and mix
Not keen on Turpin unless Froggy is still in the very doubtful category as a back up to Simpkin and the young 9 "s coming through not quite into calculations yet
Not sure if the loyalty factor may kick in with Garrick past next year , not sure other clubs would offer that much more then he is presently on .
Has a bit of that Mathew Ridge type competitiveness which can only be a good thing and the way things are going , could well be mainly looking at a centre option at Manly if Turbo continues to show his Mojo again at the back and Lehi staying in a wing role
Talau still an asset but not sure if it is the club or him mainly responsible for him not being re signed to date
Navale and Hart look like developing into real keepers and could well be that a prop grouping of Tent , Jake , T K O and Bully may form the main basis there .
Maybe Patolo is expected to go better into next season apart from the other prop young guns

 

[Rocky]

We need to break out of the cycle of signing players at the end f their careers. We don't need anymore we need youth and speed.

Yeh we need to get the blend right.

Having two or three old heads (and/or big and immobile) is fine, but we have about 5 or 6!

 

[Not Paul Kent]

Be helpful if the medical retirement issues with Aloioa could be finally clarified
Would be interesting how the planning for the forward line up is being directed right now
Aloioa , Sipps and Jazz not on the books next season so a bit of coin there to try and get the right type of replacements and mix
Not keen on Turpin unless Froggy is still in the very doubtful category as a back up to Simpkin and the young 9 "s coming through not quite into calculations yet
Not sure if the loyalty factor may kick in with Garrick past next year , not sure other clubs would offer that much more then he is presently on .
Has a bit of that Mathew Ridge type competitiveness which can only be a good thing and the way things are going , could well be mainly looking at a centre option at Manly if Turbo continues to show his Mojo again at the back and Lehi staying in a wing role
Talau still an asset but not sure if it is the club or him mainly responsible for him not being re signed to date
Navale and Hart look like developing into real keepers and could well be that a prop grouping of Tent , Jake , T K O and Bully may form the main basis there .
Maybe Patolo is expected to go better into next season apart from the other prop young guns

Pretty sure Jazz and Toff would have been on pretty minimal deals. I don’t think we have as much cap to play with next year as you might think.

 

[manly al]

Pretty sure Jazz and Toff would have been on pretty minimal deals. I don’t think we have as much cap to play with next year as you might think.

just as a hunch , Toff just under 300 K and would have thought Jazz around the 300 K mark so maybe not that insignificant

 

[Not Paul Kent]

just as a hunch , Toff just under 300 K and would have thought Jazz around the 300 K mark so maybe not that insignificant

What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4

Croker may not play again , but may not get a medical retirement either , that “ could “ be $400k more

 

[manly al]

What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4

Gone to a bit of trouble there , some seem in the ball park , a few others , maybe not so much
Would have thought Saab more in the 320 K range , Koula probably 450 or a bit less now but next hopeful contract most likely around the 750 min , T K O would deserve that upgrade .
Lehi probably not far off , Maybe a bit more for Wilson , just could not see 400 K for Froggy , thought that Large was in the top 30 next season

 

[Phobia]

What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4

Off the top of my head, what I can confirm as having been published:

Koula and Garrick on <$600k currently
Paseka on $600k
Saab on ~$250k
The rest sound about right though. probably a bit higher for some of the lower level guys.

Doesnt change much anyway, but the point is, we need ~4-5 players on ~200-250k. Some people here want players well beyond that packet. The best we can do is try to get some juniors IMO.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Klemmer an interesting one. Initially I thought "please no". However watching a few Dragons games recently he runs straight and hard and has a very quick play the ball. A guy I work with is a Dragons member (goes to all games) and he said "Klemmer may be a bit past it but he has tightened up our middle. Hard to fault him really". Q: Is he better than Lodge, Sipley? Possibly good value at a 1 year deal.

Not going to win anything if we are using Lodge as the benchmark!

Just sayin’

 

[Rocky]

What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4

Generally looks good.

Ben T prob on 400k and Saab prob on 350k

 

[LeonardCohen]

Tom Ale (NZ Warriors Prop) rumoured to have signed with Penrith Panthers. Fits the profile of players we need. Wouldn't have broken the bank. Why can't we sign these type of players? Instead we are looking to sign a winger and a hooker/utility.

Because he’d rather go to the four time premiership winning Panthers than Manly.

Players and managers are pretty savvy these days. Go to club on less money/train and trial/minimum wage and develop in a good system and score a big contract down the track vs getting a little bit more now to stay languishing in and out of first grade.

That’s how we keep missing out.

 

[Not Paul Kent]

Gone to a bit of trouble there , some seem in the ball park , a few others , maybe not so much
Would have thought Saab more in the 320 K range , Koula probably 450 or a bit less now but next hopeful contract most likely around the 750 min , T K O would deserve that upgrade .
Lehi probably not far off , Maybe a bit more for Wilson , just could not see 400 K for Froggy , thought that Large was in the top 30 next season

No confirmation anywhere on Large being top 30

 

[Not Paul Kent]

Gone to a bit of trouble there , some seem in the ball park , a few others , maybe not so much
Would have thought Saab more in the 320 K range , Koula probably 450 or a bit less now but next hopeful contract most likely around the 750 min , T K O would deserve that upgrade .
Lehi probably not far off , Maybe a bit more for Wilson , just could not see 400 K for Froggy , thought that Large was in the top 30 next season

Hard to argue with much of this. Only thing I’d say is Rugby had offered Koula $800k so I’d say you’re estimating him on a little unders.

 

[Eagles4Life]

No confirmation anywhere on Large being top 30

This is all I could find on his status in the top thirty for 2026. @Not Paul Kent Writ Large: Meet the teen star ready to replace DCE at Manly
Zero Tackle also shows him as contracted until 2028.

 

[Ohgeez]

No confirmation anywhere on Large being top 30

He’ll 100% be in the top 30 mate. It’s the only slight chance of keeping him away from Rugby

 

[manlyfan76]

What do we think of the below? Just my estimates, no basis whatsoever so don’t @ me!

Tom Trbojevic – $1.1m
Jake Trbojevic – $1.0m
Haumole Olakau’atu – $875k
Jamal Fogarty – $700k
Luke Brooks – $660k
Tolutau Koula – $650k
Reuben Garrick – $600k
Taniela Paseka – $500k
Jason Saab – $450k
Lehi Hopoate – $450k
Ethan Bullemor – $450k
Lachlan Croker – $400k
Siua Taukei’aho – $325k
Tommy Talau – $300k
Corey Waddell – $300k
Ben Trbojevic – $300k
Nathan Brown – $300k
Jake Simpkin – $250k
Joey Walsh – $225k
Clayton Faulalo – $200k
Blake Wilson – $200k
Matt Lodge – $130k
Zaidas Muagututia – $150k
Caleb Navale – $150k
Paul Bryan – $150k
Simione Laiafi – $150k

Total spend (26 players): $11.16m
Cap space remaining: $940k
Roster spots open: 4

Plus long service credit to come off turbos money?