2026 recruitment & retention

[Buddy Love]

For the next few years I think we should be running with something like this:

1. Turbo
2. Saab
3. Koula
4. Hoppa
5. Someone.

On Saab, he will be better. He was missing running threats further in, in particular Olakau’atu and Paseka, and alongside a poor DCE, it really brought him down this year.

Putting Hoppa in the centres will prepare him better for the fullback role, aside from maybe the aerial aspect. I strongly believe Turbo has plenty to offer for the time being, although Hoppa isn’t far off being that guy for us.

Fullback is so important. Compare Walsh at the start of the year, to last night. The team evolved around his confidence. We need a confident fullback.

Koula… I’d love for him to be a fullback, but I don’t think he has the aerial ability or defensive prowess that both Turbo and Hoppa possess. He’s killing it at centre, why upset the balance?

As for that remaining wing spot, I think Blake Wilson may surprise a few. Willett not far off either, although I worry about his acceleration.

Offt hoppa in the centres and Saab over Garrick 🤣 absurdity

 

[Uk eagle]

I wonder if Garrick's ambition to play anywhere but wing is the main reason for his leaving?
Iongi locked in as #1 at the Eels, but who knows who the Bears will sign.

Or tax-free in PNG 💀

Well Lomax went to the Eels because he didn't want to play on the wing and he still ended up playing most of the season there.
Some players need to learn where their best position is, both Lomax and Garrick are really good wingers but average centres

 

[double hoops]

When think about it, how absurd to not be able to fit a guy like Garrick under the cap?! Every other strong club seems to be able to find the coin to keep the decent first graders that are a rung below the Origin stars. Garrick is just a good solid first grader and is not marquee signing for a club. Parra can go and buy Lomax and Brisbane and go and buy Hunt (both Origin players), and we can’t hold onto Garrick?

This is where Penns is a lacking. 3rd party deals. Real estate in unit complexes.

For Manly to compete, head office and the off field accountant has to at least catch up to other clubs

 

[Phobia]

Offt hoppa in the centres and Saab over Garrick 🤣 absurdity

Are you being serious?

Hopoate had been a centre / fullback his entire career, until Seibold moved him to the wing last year.

He made his NSW Cup debut in the centres, and stayed in that position for a good period of time. He was only moved to fullback due to the NSW Cup fullback not playing well.

It has been very well reported that both the Bears and the Eels are highly interested in Garrick. The Bears have an entire cap to spend, and the Eels have offloaded nearly all of their highest paid players. We would be in a bidding war for him. Unless it’s Brian To’o, I don’t think any quality side would be in a $600k+ bidding war for a winger.

On the other hand, Saab is cheap as hell.

 

[Carl]

Not sure how it is going to go after next season if Rueben does move on in regards to a competitive centre pairing and on the very hopeful prospect that Koula can be retained longer term but with T T 2 not on the scene ongoing also
No serious centre prospect coming through , only really Faulalo and Turbo as possible future centre options to partner Koula on the books now
If the reports of Garrick currently on about 600 K are accurate , even with an increased cap , Doubt that Manly could warrant paying him that much more
750 K at say the Eells or Perth could well be on offer and maybe or unfortunately , Ruebs may not have as strong a commitment to Manly as is assumed for whatever reason
Would also assume that he would be a bit reluctant to relocate to Perth unless the money was real exceptional and the Eels proposition could well be a serious option with more coin
Manly maybe have already made it clear what their ceiling is for him , hence the hints of a Eels move and a free agent after Nov the i st in any case .
Still some plan B needed for a future competitive Manly centre pairing if Rubs unfortunately is lured away and can hang onto Koula

I've heard it said that ontoni large could play in the centres.

 

[madmax]

Yessssss. Garrick gone. Feel free Parra!

Maybe you could be ‘gone’ also? Feel free mate!

 

[madmax]

Not saying anyone else is better by any means, merely better value for the salary cap.

Making grand finals is less about having good players, than it is about having them on good value. I don’t want us in a bidding war for a cog… That’s something we have stuffed up before (Jake).

So Garrick is a cog? 😂😂😂😂

 

[SeaEagleSI1]

1. Lehi Hopoate
2. Reuben Garrick
3. Tom Trbojevic
4. Tolutau Koula
5. Jason Saab
6. Luke Brooks
7. Jamal Fogarty
8. Nathan Brown
9. Lachlan Croker ( two years of neck issues and concussion, is he going to retire?)
10. Taniela Paseka
11. Ben Trbojevic
12. Haumole Olakau'atu
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Jake Simpkin
15. Corey Waddell
16. Caleb Navale
17. Ethan Bullemor

18. Simione Laiafi
19. Joey Walsh
20. Paul Bryan
21. Onitoni Large (might be in top 30)
22. Zaidas Muagututia (apparently attitude issues might be released)
23. Clayton Faulalo
24. Willett (might be in top 30)
25. Schoupp (ACL maybe a train and trial)
26. Moale (signed for 27 hopefully comes in 26)
27. Taukeiaho (in talks hopefully resigns are one new deal)
28. Hetherington (no statement yet)
29. Wilson (in talks)
30. No player signed

Lodge might be going to UK
Talking to Dockar-clay
Wakeham into top 30?

Still think we need a forward-second row

 

[Rafferty]

This is where Penns is a lacking. 3rd party deals. Real estate in unit complexes.

For Manly to compete, head office and the off field accountant has to at least catch up to other clubs

Catch up, we need to start mate, it’s rumoured the chooks have a $150m property trust, the Dogs via the leagues club, fund the football club with $6m annually, their also been actively diversifying away from just pokie and club revenue, building their property portfolio empire, they recently bought a 30m shopping centre in Newcastle and have around 50m in their property trust portfolio. Can only imagine the financial clout behind the Broncos, Melbourne, Penrith, etc

It high time Penn gets real, concentrates on building our club, investing in it appropriately or gets outs and lets someone or some vehicle take over, someone willing to invest accordingly, its get wealthy and compete or fade away into obscurity or worse oblivion, we cannot compete and will not be able to compete unless our club builds a similar financial empire to support it. Cash out Scottie or get real and invest, big time.

 

[eaglebuzz]

In hindsight it was a genius move by the club to have the 2025 we had. If all the players play like s**t then they won't be recruitment targets for the Bears, PNG or Rugby360.

 

[TheEagle]

Maybe you could be ‘gone’ also? Feel free mate!

We don’t need a $600k winger/centre that is poor out of yardage and can’t tackle when we already have stacked outside backs, that $600k would be good on our forward pack. But if you love Reuben so much, follow where he goes, because Manly don’t need him. Feel free mate!

 

[TheEagle]

Losing Garrick will come back to bite us

I don’t get why people don’t get this. It’s about value for money. Garrick is poor out of yardage and a bad defender, he finishes tries but that’s what every winger does. What can Reuben on up to $700k do that a Nav Willett or Blake Wilson can’t do on $300k? Seriously, Wilson and Willett would be able to finish tries like Garrick, for $400k less. This clubs issue has been our forward pack for a while and we have some fans that still want to keep Garrick instead of investing in our forward pack.

 

[Disco]

I don’t get why people don’t get this. It’s about value for money. Garrick is poor out of yardage and a bad defender, he finishes tries but that’s what every winger does. What can Reuben on up to $700k do that a Nav Willett or Blake Wilson can’t do on $300k? Seriously, Wilson and Willett would be able to finish tries like Garrick, for $400k less. This clubs issue has been our forward pack for a while and we have some fans that still want to keep Garrick instead of investing in our forward pack.

You have your view and thats fair but no need to patronise others for for having a differing view.

I agree if Garrick can get 700-800k elsewhere then it is best to let him go but if we can keep him on about the same money as now he is well worth keeping.

I disagree on your view on him as a player, also if Wilson or Willet could bring what Garrick does they'd be sought after like he is and be getting paid what he does.

 

[TheEagle]

You have your view and thats fair but no need to patronise others for for having a differing view.

I agree if Garrick can get 700-800k elsewhere then it is best to let him go but if we can keep him on about the same money as now he is well worth keeping.

I disagree on your view on him as a player, also if Wilson or Willet could bring what Garrick does they'd be sought after like he is and be getting paid what he does.

If we let Garrick go, we would have something like this
1: Turbo
2: Saab
3: Clayton
4: Koula
5: Lehi

We would then have the chance to make a big forward signing using Garricks $600k and some leftover cap we have. Or instead we could extend Reuben, keep clogging up our back 5 and limit us from bolstering our biggest issue for the past 5-10 years, our forward pack. For me, it’s a no brainer, we are stacked with outside backs, go get a marquee forward to help elevate us to compete with the top dogs.

 

[The Wheel]

Interesting development at Soufs - surely Davvy gets moved on?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1974971199039156318

 

[TheEagle]

Interesting development at Soufs - surely Davvy gets moved on?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1974971199039156318

Makes me feel that they won’t be able to get Fifita for next year so they sign Tui for a year