Sea Eagles Form Partnership With Castleford Tigers

[Mal Cochrane]

SEA EAGLES BUILD CASTLE IN UK

Manly Sea Eagles have set up a revolutionary amalgamation with UK Super League club Castleford Tigers to attract the best young rugby league players from the north of England to Brookvale.

Under a unique pathways agreement, Manly will get access from 17,000km away to rising stars who will be given the opportunity to break into the NRL via the Sea Eagles.

Manly already has a rich history with Castleford, the club that produced legendary premiership -winning forwards Malcolm Reilly and Kevin Ward for the Sea Eagles.

Manly chairman Scott Penn and CEO Tony Mestrov have been working behind the scenes for several months to establish the connection with the famous old English club in a first-of-its-kind arrangement for an NRL club.

“We’ve been talking to them around talent in junior and senior levels,” Penn said.

“It’s about trying to attract the best youngsters from the UK. Castleford are creating great talent, kids who are potentially looking for an alternative pathway.

Manly Chairman Scott Penn has been working behind the scenes to set up a revolutionary partnership with Castleford in the UK Super League. Picture: Getty Images
“A lot of their best juniors get poached by some of the bigger Super League clubs.

“I think we can do some pretty special things by setting up an exclusive pathway to the NRL.”

The bonus for Castleford is it believes the best young players in England will want to join the Tigers because of the link to the Sea Eagles and the NRL.

Manly is also looking at an exchange program where its best local youngsters will be offered opportunities to develop their game in England.

There’s also talk of an under-19s match between the two clubs each year.

Recruitment is everything these days in rugby league.

Manly has also worked hard in recent times on its own junior league. The club now has 70 per cent of their Harold Matts and SG Ball players coming from clubs on the northern peninsula.

There is, however, work to be done with its feeder club Blacktown Workers, where relationships have become strained in recent times.

The team has leaked 158 points in the past three weeks in NSW Cup.

 

[IQofalimabean]

when the talent is running dry from the west tigers

 

[Captain Moondog]

Another Mal Reilly or Kevin Ward would be good.

 

[Frogz]

I hope something comes out of it. I love how they talk about the "rich history".... 2 players 1 in the 70's 1 in the 80's... but Id love another Mal Reilly now, although he might spend longer in the judiciary room than JWH, in todays game

 

[eaglebuzz]

This is the sort of stuff Penn is actually good at, I wish he would do more of this and less meddling in the football dept.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

This is the sort of stuff Penn is actually good at

You mean getting pictures of his oddly-shaped head and strangely effeminate facial hair in the sports pages of newspapers?

 

[The Who]

Great initiative, only I fear if it is successful the NRL will ban Manly from any overseas connections, just like they did with the Queensland Seagulls.
But they'll let Melbourne do it because the Storm is so disadvantaged....

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Another Mal Reilly or Kevin Ward would be good.

Knocker Norton was another premiership winner Manly got from Castleford, also Gary Stephens.

 

[BOZO]

I love our Legendary Godfathers ruthless approach
Don't amalgamate . Just take their best players and win premierships

 

[The Insomniac]

Look I don't mean to be negative but I can't really see much coming of this. Love to be proven wrong but I doubt any significant talent will be discovered or developed from this venture. We should be looking for alliances closer to home.

 

[manlyfan76]

UK -- AUS - USA
The production like of talent

 

[Cliffy's Jockstrap]

This seems to me a worthy idea. I will bet it doesn't cost us very much, if anything. But it gives us a permanent store front and presence in the UK. This will make us a high profile team there. I also like it that we have an offering of opportunity for talented young guys who we can't offer a 1G spot to yet. BWSE looks like it has failed. This might be the better replacement.

 

[Eagle Eyed]

You mean getting pictures of his oddly-shaped head and strangely effeminate facial hair in the sports pages of newspapers?

Yeah, Scott Penns career has really taken off, once he became independent of his Ventriloquist.

 

[ManlyGM]

Look I don't mean to be negative but I can't really see much coming of this. Love to be proven wrong but I doubt any significant talent will be discovered or developed from this venture. We should be looking for alliances closer to home.

There’s really no downside in a partnership like this. Like really, what’s the cons?

 

[eaglebuzz]

This seems to me a worthy idea. I will bet it doesn't cost us very much, if anything. But it gives us a permanent store front and presence in the UK. This will make us a high profile team there. I also like it that we have an offering of opportunity for talented young guys who we can't offer a 1G spot to yet. BWSE looks like it has failed. This might be the better replacement.

It was so frustrating when we lost our connection with the Sunshine Coast because the NSWRL were pricks. We had such a healthy relationship with them and it was producing NRL ready talent.

 

[Highflier]

It was so frustrating when we lost our connection with the Sunshine Coast because the NSWRL were pricks. We had such a healthy relationship with them and it was producing NRL ready talent.

I think that was Greenturd again doing his best to undermine us.
God what a stain on the game that useless lick spittle was. The architect of so many of our troubles over that 2010 -2017 period

 

[The Wheel]

Sea Eagles form exciting partnership with Castleford Tigers

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have further expanded their horizons to attract the best young talent available overseas with another exciting new partnership.

www.seaeagles.com.au

 

[wombatgc]

It was so frustrating when we lost our connection with the Sunshine Coast because the NSWRL were pricks. We had such a healthy relationship with them and it was producing NRL ready talent.

That still shiits me. Not just because it was a great place to go for the weekend. Even when we played one trial in those green jerseys it was a sell-out. Now it’s the Storms feeding ground.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Knocker Norton was another premiership winner Manly got from Castleford, also Gary Stephens.

Wayne’s knowledge of M-W’s club history only extends so far.

 

[Captain Moondog]

I think that was Greenturd again doing his best to undermine us.
God what a stain on the game that useless lick spittle was. The architect of so many of our troubles over that 2010 -2017 period

Love the word lickspittle, sadly underused these days.....reminds me of a song....