Cust Gone ...

TBH I am not surprised. Cade is talented, we all know that, but his chances at first grade with Manly were very limited without a fair bit of luck, injuries and probably a change of coach (none of which are likely anytime soon).

As a half he was behind DCE, Foz, Walks and Froggy.
As a dummy half he was behind Froggy, Lawton, and when he's back, Fainu.
As a bench utility he was behind Walks, Lawton, and when Fainu is back ... maybe Froggy as well.

Cade did have his chances to cement a spot in first grade, but could never quite get it done. Some of that was injury related, but mostly it was just that Des saw others as better options.

Anyway, good luck with Wigan Cade. I hope you give the Poms hell and show them what a Manly junior is made of.
 
Last edited:
mickqld said:
Gone to Wigan. While we keep an aged and injury prone Foran. Mind boggling decision.
Click to expand...

Interesting fact. Kieran Foran played more games in 2021 (25) than he did in any of the years he played for the Worms (2016 - 9), Warriors (2017 - 17) or Dogs (2018 - 12, 2019 - 14, 2020 - 14). In fact, his 25 games in 2021 was the 3rd most in a season he played in his career to date only behind 2013 (27) and 2011 (26). Also interesting to note, in those 3 years where Foz has played his most games in a season, we were Premiers, Grand Finalists and top 4.....with him out there, Manly have mostly won (in Foz's 172 games for Manly, we have won 107, lost 64 and drawn 1 - 62.21% wins).

Foz only missed 2 games in 2021, both due to a broken bone in his left hand suffered in the Magic Round demolition of the Broncos. He missed rounds 11 and 12 (win over the Worms, loss to the Knights) and returned in the round 14 thrashing of the Cows (we had the bye in round 13).
 
Cade wasn't in our top 17, according to the one who's opinion counts - Des Hasler. That much was and now is obvious.

But his biggest problem was not poor man management by Des or the club or that he was probably 4th cab off the rank for any of his positions at Manly. It was that effectively for the past 2 years his and a lot of fringe NRL players careers have been put on hold by the pandemic. With the NSW and Qld Cups basically shut down, players like Cust weren't playing if they weren't in first grade. And without injuries to first grade players, he never got a lot of chance to do much of anything (his own injuries didn't help either).

I think that releasing him so that he can join Wigan is the best thing for both Manly and Cade Cust, especially as we have first option if he returns to play in Australia. He's likely going to get the game time and development he needs (no doubt he'll be a half or 5/8) so that if and when he's ready to return home, he'd be a ready made replacement for DCE who will probably be looking at retirement by then. Instead of being a relative rookie, he'd have first grade Super League experience behind him. I also think going to England is better for Manly because we wouldn't have that first crack at his services when he returns option had he gone to another NRL club.
 
40 nil said:
Except for Foran (several games) and Walker (one game), none of these players have had NRL experience in the no. 7 role (afaik). Schuster would be the NRL's biggest ever no. 7 🙂
Click to expand...
Schuster is a better 7 than 6 if you watch him passing the ball left handed and his kicking game will excel on the right side of the field .We should be picking players on what they can do on the field ,not how big or small they are .All the doubts can be answered if a player is tried and tested during the season .We have some good youngsters coming up soon and same thing with them .( tried and tested )
 
Former Manly Sea Eagles' utility Cade Custhas officially joined the Wigan Warriors on a two-year deal from the beginning of the 2022 season.

Released by the Sea Eagles to take up the overseas opportunity, Cust has managed 27 first-grade games in his three-year stint with the Sea Eagles since debuting in the top grade in 2019.

ADVERTISEMENT

A one-time representative of the Indigenous All Stars, Cust, who was born in Scone, has been part of the Manly junior system since he played SG Ball as an under-16 player for the club.

While he fell behind Lachlan Croker when it came to getting a spot in the starting 17 over the past two seasons, Cust has filled in admirably when called upon at the Sea Eagles, and in an interview with the club website, revealed he has a clause in his contract which means Manly will have first shot at signing him should he return to Australia in the future.


That won't happen before the end of 2023, owing to the deal he signed with Super League powerhouse Wigan.


CADE CUST
Halfback

Sea Eagles
2021 SEASON AVG
0.1
Try Assists
0.2
Tries
12.7
Kick Metres

"There is a two-year deal with Wigan, and a third year as a club option. If I am to return back to the NRL, Manly have the first opportunity to negotiate a deal," Cust said.
ADVERTISEMENT

"I love Manly. That's where I have grown up and if I do come back to the NRL, that's an opportunity that we can sort out in the future."
His move to Wigan will see the 23-year-old join fellow Australians Bevan French, Jai Field, Thomas Leiluai, Kaide Ellise and Patrick Mago, with Cust likely to fight Field for a spot in the halves alongside Harry Smith.
"It's an opportunity that I'm really excited for. It all happened quite quickly. They reached out and the way they want me to play, to play in the halves and have my running game is something that I think is good for my footy career," Cust said.
"I think I'll develop not only as a footy player, but as a person as well."
Cust added that he was grateful for his time at the Sea Eagles.
"I'm very grateful. I remember as a 16-year-old, I had my mum, dad and pop drive me back and forth from Scone two days a week," Cust said.
"I'm very grateful I had a chance to play for the club."
 
Really good move by Cade and the club... Cade gets to play regular footy and develop as a player and person, i have no doubt he will kill it in the Super League and his confidence will go to another level, not to mention his team game management which is what he will benefit from most... DCE retires in 3 years, Manly and Cade at 26 ( in his prime) will have first option on a ready replacement if we have no others step up... and if it's not with Manly then Cade will still have a career in the NRL with someone else due to that experience..win win for all.
Im pretty sure teams like Newcastle, Tigers and the Dolphins were already circling Cade and i wouldn't be suprise if the club reached out to the UK clubs to get him a permanent run rather than loose him completely... don't be suprise if we see a couple of our younger stars doing similar things in the future... could be a masterstroke by the club and a way of holding onto juniors that the club has developed over time and are just not ready due to having other star players holding that position.
Basically Cade is still linked to the Sea Eagles but not on our cuurent salary cap. Very much like the "loan" system employed by many football teams playing in the Premier League, Don't be suprise if other NRL clubs follow suit with their juniors rather than loose them to the opposition clubs.
Manly magic and the mad scientist at it again...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Staff online

Members online

Total: 388 (members: 18, guests: 370)

Latest posts

Team P W L PD Pts
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0

Online statistics

Members online
18
Guests online
370
Total visitors
388
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Latest posts

Newest members

Stay Connected

Back
Top Bottom