NRL 2023: Manly Sea Eagles axe $800,000 star Josh Schuster to reserve grade
The Sea Eagles have stood down Josh Schuster for the second time this year - just months after he signed a massive $800-a-year extension.
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Manly Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold has finally run out of patience with his $3.2 million star Josh Schuster after a shocker against the New Zealand Warriors last weekend.
The $800,000-a-year utility will be axed to reserve grade for this weekend’s match against the Canterbury Bulldogs as a result of a lacklustre 20-minute stint against the Warriors in which he had zero runs.
Schuster is on a $3.2 million deal until the end of 2027, a contract chief executive Tony Mestrov insists is still safe at this stage.
He will be named on an extended bench in jersey 21 but Mestrov has confirmed the 22-year-old would play for Manly’s NSW Cup feeder club, Blacktown, against the Bulldogs.
“Josh knows he’s got a lot of work to do,” Mestrov said.
“I think he’s willing to do that but he needs to learn that this club has standards to abide by.
“At the moment his contract is not in danger.
“To play first grade week in, week out, there’s a certain fitness level that’s required.
“He just needs to address that.”
This is the second time this season Schuster has been stood down by Manly over his form and fitness.
On Friday against the Warriors he came on as an edge forward off the bench but made no impression in a game the club had to win to keep their finals hopes alive.
What irked Manly’s coaching staff is that Schuster didn’t even act disappointed after he was replaced against the Warriors like most players when they get hooked.
“His form hasn’t been good enough for the last two or three weeks,” Mestrov said.
“He was dropped to the bench against the Warriors but when he came on the performance wasn’t up to first grade standard. It’s as simple as that.
“He needs to understand there is a particular standard at Manly for all players.
“It’s just not good enough. We all know he’s an exceptionally talented player but he needs to know what he’s produced in recent weeks isn’t going to be accepted.”
Schuster was dropped after round 8 “to allow him to do more reconditioning work on a recent quad injury” and, at the time, Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans had a sombre warning for the 22-year-old.
“I have been playing long enough to see so many people at this club not maximise their opportunity,” Cherry-Evans said.
“That is rugby league mate – if you’re not willing to work hard enough, if you’re not willing to sacrifice, you just don’t last long.
“He is at a crossroads early in his career but it can be a real positive. This doesn’t have to be a negative for him – spending some time away to get his body right, this could be a defining moment where he takes off to that level we all know he can.
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Originally published as NRL 2023: Manly Sea Eagles axe $800,000 star Josh Schuster to reserve grade
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