Several ex-premiership winning Manly players are doing their part to help develop the next group of talented youngsters coming through the Sea Eagles Pathway system.
Geoff Toovey, Brett Stewart, Matt Orford, Jamie Buhrer, Solomon Haumono, and Anthony Watmough hold various positions on the Manly Sea Eagles junior representative and development teams in 2024.
Through his role as the Club’s Junior Pathways Coaching Co-ordinator, Toovey works closely with Manly’s junior coaches, mentoring them and bringing the passion and dedication he was renowned for.
Toovey played 286 first grade games for the Sea Eagles and captained Manly to their 1996 premiership win. He later coached Manly from 2012-15.
Stewart, the ‘Prince of Brookvale’, is an Assistant Coach of the SG Ball team (U19s) under new Coach Nathan Hogan.
The two-time premiership winning full-back, who holds the record for Most Tries for Manly, also splits his time in between his role as a Mentor Positional Coach on Anthony Seibold’s NRL Football Staff.
Orford returns as the Sea Eagles U16s Development Coach following his great success with the program in 2023.
A former half-back, Orford played 109 first grade games for Manly and was captain of the club's 2008 premiership winning team that beat Melbourne Storm 40-0 in the Grand Final.
Buhrer, a 2011 premiership winning Sea Eagles player, will work alongside Orford as his Assistant Coach.
The U16s development squad comprises of talented young rugby league players from the Manly Warringah Junior Rugby League clubs.
Haumono, a devastating back-rower who played 76 games for Manly (1994-96, 2003-04) has been appointed as an Assistant Coach of Manly’s Lisa Fiaola Cup team.
Watmough, also a two-time premiership winning forward, has returned to the club as an Assistant Coach and trainer for Manly’s newly created Sydney Shield side.
The flow on doesn’t end there, with Manly’s Harold Matthews Cup team featuring the sons of some former Sea Eagles players.
New Coach Jordan Meredith is the son of Martin Meredith, who played 48 games for Manly from 1979-87.
Assistant Coach Brook Eadie and Team Manager Todd Eadie are the sons of four-time premiership winning full-back Graham Eadie, who holds the record of most points for the club.
Manly CEO Tony Mestrov said it was very pleasing to have so many great names involved in the club again.
“It is tremendous to see these former players, many of who know what it takes to win a premiership, return to the Sea Eagles to help develop our next generation of male and female players,’’ Mestrov said.
“The knowledge and the passion they have cannot be replicated and it will be of enormous benefit to our younger players and our club culture.”
