Manly Warringah Sea Eagles will field an NRL squad in 2019 mixed with internationals, experience, and some exciting new talent.
The Sea Eagles begin pre-season training on Monday, November 5, with the Club having a top 29 contracted squad as well as five development players in a 34-man roster.
Kane Elgey heads a list of new signings that includes Brendan Elliot, Corey Waddell, Reuben Garrick, and Sean Keppie while promising youngsters Albert Hopoate, Semisi Kioa, Haumole Olakau'atu and Cade Cust have been promoted from Manly's junior ranks into the full-time NRL squad.
Kioa (centre), Cust (half) and Olakau'atu (back-rower) all played in Manly's premiership-winning Holden Cup team in 2017 and progressed nicely in the lower grades this season.
Hopoate has been one of the dominant full-backs in the NSWRL junior rep competitions over the past two seasons and was sorely missed by Manly's SG Ball team when he suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier in the year. He was one of the stars in NSW's U16s team win over Qld in 2017.
Elgey, 24, will be looking to secure the five-eighth role outside Daly Cherry-Evans after playing in the halves at the Gold Coast Titans. He has already played 46 NRL matches.
A winger/centre, 24-year-old Elliot has scored 19 tries in 40 NRL matches following stints at the Sydney Roosters, Newcastle Knights, and Gold Coast Titans.
A hard-working back-rower, 22-year-old Waddell joins the Sea Eagles from the Penrith Panthers where he was a member of their premiership-winning Intrust Super Premiership team in 2017.
Garrick has headed to the Sea Eagles in the search of making his NRL debut after some impressive performances on the wing and at centre for St George-Illawarra in the Holden Cup and Intrust Super Premiership over the past two years. The 21-year-old former Australian Schoolboy scored 10 tries in 21 matches in the Intrust competition this year.
A former Australian Schoolboy, Keppie joins the Sea Eagles on a development contract after impressing for the Parramatta Eels in the U20s for the past two years.
Other players to earn a development contract include half-back Luke Metcalf (2018 Jersey Flegg Best and Fairest award), talented full-back/winger Jade Anderson (9 tries in 21 games for Blacktown Workers), impressive young back-rower Haumole Olakau'atu, and Lachlan Croker.
At 21, Croker will be determined to re-establish his NRL career after suffering a third season-ending knee injury in April in what was his eighth NRL game for Manly.
Test players Daly Cherry-Evans, Addin Fonua-Blake, Martin Taupau, Jake Trbojevic and Tom Trbojevic won't return to pre-season training for some time following recent international duty. Taupau is still playing for New Zealand in a three-match Test series against England.
Top 29 squad
Daly Cherry-Evans, Cade Cust, Kane Elgey, Brendan Elliot, Manase Fainu, Addin Fonua-Blake, Tevita Funa, Reuben Garrick, Jack Gosiewski, Trent Hodkinson, Albert Hopoate, Brian Kelly, Semisi Kioa, Api Koroisau, Brad Parker, Taniela Paseka, Lloyd Perrett, Toafofoa Sipley, Curtis Sironen, Moses Suli, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jorge Taufua, Martin Taupau, Joel Thompson, Jake Trbojevic, Tom Trbojevic, Corey Waddell, Dylan Walker, Frank Winterstein
Development players
Jade Anderson, Lachlan Croker, Sean Keppie, Luke Metcalf, Haumole Olakau'atu
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