There are quite a few new faces at Sea Eagles training this week with the second phase of players arriving for pre-season training.
Joining the Club ahead of the 2027 season and beginning a new chapter in their careers are Starford To’a, Kayliss Fatialofa and Toni Mataele.
To’a, a 26-year-old outside back, is looking for a new opportunity at Manly after five seasons at the Wests Tigers.
Starford has scored 32 tries from 87 NRL games since making his debut with the Knights in 2019, and like quite a few of his new teammates at the Sea Eagles, is also a Tongan International.
Former Manly junior representative player, Toni Mataele returns to the club after spending the past five years at Parramatta Eels where he made his NRL debut in 2025.
A 23-year-old prop who nowadays lines up at prop, Mataele played in the centres in Manly’s premiership-winning Harold Matthews Cup team in 2018.
Joining the Sea Eagles from the New Zealand Warriors is 21-year-old forward Kayliss Fatialofa. Yet to make his NRL debut, Fatialofa scored 23 tries in 54 appearances for the Warriors in the NSW Cup over the past three seasons.
Also joining the club this week on pre-season train and trial contracts are a couple of young men who are hoping to follow in their fathers’ footsteps.
Judah Galuvao and Brenton Baira have pulled on Manly colours for the first time, joining the pre-season program at 4 Pines Park.
Judah is the son of Joe Galuvao, a two-time premiership-winning forward who played 240 NRL games across 15 seasons and was a member of Manly’s most recent premiership team in 2011.
A 20-year-old prop, Judah joins the Sea Eagles from the Panthers, where he captained their Jersey Flegg Cup team to a premiership this year.
Baira is a 24-year-old outside back who has scored 37 tries in 51 games in the Queensland Cup over the past few seasons, playing with Ipswich, Redcliffe and Mackay. Brenton’s father, who was pretty quick too in his day, is former Canberra Raiders winger, Royston Lightning.
Several other players are back on deck after a good break, taking the current pre-season squad to 34. They include the likes of Luke Brooks, Kobe Hetherington, Ethan Bullemor, as well as Jake and Ben Trbojevic.
