Oh baby, what a signing by the Manly Marlins

THE Manly Marlins can thank an upcoming birth for securing the services of Super Rugby halfback Mark Swanepoel.

Manly Marlins halfback Mark Swanepoel Picture: Carl O. Peterson

THE Manly Marlins can thank an upcoming birth for securing the services of Super Rugby halfback Mark Swanepoel.

The 23-year-old had a pregnant pause in his career after learning he was going to become a dad.

“I was going to go back to New Zealand to play for Tasman in the ICM Cup,” he said.

“But my wife Sammi and I decided we would rather stay in Australia for the birth of our daughter.”

Swanepoel wants to secure another Super contract in Australia and to do that he realised the best place to get exposure was in the Sydney competition.

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And if was going to play in Sydney it wouldn’t be anywhere but Manly where he was previously.

Swanepoel will start his second game in the top grade this afternoon against Eastwood at Manly

Oval.

He has replaced Waratahs No. 9 Matt Lucas who is recovering from minor knee surgery.

And he made the most of his first chance in last week’s win over Penrith turning in an eye-catching effort.

Manly Marlins Matt Lucas tackled by Warringah Rat Boyd Killingworth Picture: Carl O Peterson

Swanepoel has already racked up an impressive CV for a player his age on both sides of the Tasman.

He was at the Western Force from 2009-11 before heading to Canterbury in New Zealand at the end 2011 to play in the ICM Cup and was third string halfback at the Crusaders.

He then came last year after signing with the Brumbies where he came off the bench in Super Rugby games three or four times after a bad run with injuries at the start.

“At the end of last year I played for Tasman in the ICM Cup and we won the championship,” Swanepoel said.

“Playing at that level for the past two years has been really good.”,

Manly coach Phil Blake.

Manly coach Phil Blake has been so impressed by Swanepoel he has named him as co-captain along with lock Greg Peterson this afternoon following the suspension of regular captain Ed Gower.

“He has been fantastic since he got here,” Blake said.

“He understood we had someone with the class of Matty here but he was prepared to come back and work hard.

“And a lot of the time you get an opportunity through someone else’s misfortune.”