The greatest Manly team of the NRL era - and there's no room for Cliffy, Tooves, Turbo, or Tezza.
Here’s a fun side to contemplate over your cornflakes, my take on the greatest team of Manly players of the NRL era.
Manly have been around since just after the Second World War, and some absolute giants of the game have worn the maroon and white over the years, including the likes of Max Krillich, Ken Irvine, Graham Eadie, Ian Martin, Terry Randall, Fred Jones, Des Hasler, Malcolm Reilly and, of course, the immortal Bob Fulton.
Their greatest-ever team since 1947 is one of the best any club could put on the park, but who makes their greatest team of the NRL era?
Here’s my team, showing the number of games they played for the Sea Eagles in the NRL era, and the only selection criteria is that they must have played a minimum of 50 top-grade games for the club from the 1998 season on.
Unfortunately, games played for the ill-fated Northern Eagles debacle don’t count (* indicates still playing for Manly).
1. Brett Stewart (233) – Stewart was a gifted player with speed to burn, anticipation and great positional play. He was an extreme attacking threat from anywhere on the field and scored 163 tries for Manly on his way to premierships in both 2008 and 2011, including six try trebles and 30 doubles.
2. Jorge Taufua (164) – Along with Steve Matai, Taufua formed one of the most devastating left edge defences the game has seen, and he had more big hits than Elvis in his time on the northern beaches.
3. Steve Matai (233) – Arguably the best defensive centre to play the game, the 12-time Kiwi international was also a very good attacking player who constantly straightened the attack and knew the way to the try line.
4. Jamie Lyon (C) (227) – The Eels loss was certainly Manly’s gain when Lyon joined the Sea Eagles in 2007 after a stint with St Helens. Lyon was the complete package, skilful in attack, a great ball runner, a rugged defender, a prolific point scorer and an inspirational leader who won two premierships with Manly.
5. Reuben Garrick (133*) – Big, powerful and fast, Garrick has gone from strength to strength since joining Manly in 2019, and now sits in fourth place as the highest point scorer for the club and in twelfth place on the club’s try-scorer list.
6. Kieran Foran (198) – Foran had two stints with Manly, firstly between 2009 and 2015 and then 2021-2023. There have been few better halves in the game and his partnership with DCE defined the Manly game during his first seven-year stint with the club.
7. Daly Cherry-Evans (330*) – DCE wasn’t always Mr Popular when his Manly career commenced way back in 2011, largely due to his ground-breaking contract, but these days he’s as important to the Manly faithful as the Spit Bridge. He sits on top of the club’s all-time appearances list and has proved himself to be a very effective leader at both club and Origin level.
8. Brent Kite (221) – Kite was relentless in both attack and defence and was at the peak of his powers during his nine years with Manly, playing a big part in their premiership victories in both 2008 and 2011, winning the Clive Churchill medal for his outstanding performance in the 2008 decider.
9. Matt Ballin (220) – Few players gave as much for the Sea Eagles as Ballin did during his nine years with the club, and his hard work was rewarded with premierships in both 2008 and 2011.
10. Jason King (220) – While there was nothing flashy about King, the giant front-rower was a tower of strength for the Sea Eagles throughout his career and a strong when he got the opportunity.
11. Steve Menzies (177) – Arguably Manly’s favourite son in the NRL era, Menzies combined strong defence with speed and great positional play in attack, which saw him finish with over 250 tries to his name in an incredible 21-year career both here and in the UK.
12. Glenn Stewart (188) – A Clive Churchill Medal winner in 2011, Stewart had a stellar career with the Sea Eagles and was the leader of the pack for most of his time with the club. He not only had silky ball skills but never took a backward step and could mix it with the toughest of opponents.
13. Jake Trbojevic (225*) – When it comes to consistency, endurance and reliability, they don’t come any better than “Jurbo”, a player who leads by example in both attack and defence every time he takes the field.
14. Luke Williamson (132) – Williamson was never going to be a world beater but as far as utility players go, he was a gem and played everywhere except wing, front row and halfback for Manly during his six years at the club.
15. Anthony Watmough (281) – Watmough was a tough competitor, one of Manly’s best in the NRL era, and was also an automatic selection for both NSW and Australia during his time in the maroon and white.
16. George Rose (127) – If you’re looking for a player to come off the bench and make a “big” impact then George is your man, all 130kgs of him. Rose had excellent ball skills to go with his frightening bulk and he was a bench specialist, playing all but 16 of his games for Manly off the pine.
17. Marty Taupau (156) – Another fearsome big bopper, Taupau was at the peak of his powers during his seven seasons with Manly, and when he turned it on very few opponents could go with him.
Tom Trbojevic is the unlucky player to miss out on this team as injuries have stalled his career every time he looked to gain some momentum.
Both Geoff Toovey and Cliff Lyons were also unlucky not to be considered, but just didn’t make the minimum 50-game cut-off, playing 46 and 45 games respectively for Manly in the NRL era towards the end of their careers.
Overall, that’s a very strong side, but did I leave anyone out?
