Prop Josh Starling says Sea Eagles players ‘have each other’s backs’

PROP Josh Starling says Manly players are sticking tight and have got each other’s backs as the club faces several off-field dramas.

Manly's Josh Starling during a recovery session..Picture Gregg Porteous

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PROP Josh Starling says Manly players are sticking tight and have got each other’s backs as the club faces several off-field dramas.

Two of Manly’s games from last season are being investigated over match-fixing allegations and now the club is in a dispute with sponsor Coco Joy which is heading to court.

Starling declared those issues were not a distraction as the team prepares for the long- awaited Sunday afternoon clash with Penrith at Brookvale Oval.

He said it came as a shock when the match-fixing allegations were raised.

“But we know everyone here plays hard and plays hard every game, so we don’t read too much into it,” Starling said.

“We’re not really too worried about.

Josh Starling and Blake Leary at Sea Eagles training.

“If anyone is going to handle it, it’s the front office.

“We have to worry about playing footy on the park and getting two points, otherwise the season is going to slip away from us pretty soon.”

And Starling said Manly have shown they put drama behind them when they step onto the field.

“That’s exactly what this club is built on. They’ve been through a lot of hard times and they’ve come out good the other end,” he said. “We believe we have the players to really step up this week.”

Starling said the resolve had always been there among the playing group.

“No matter what’s said we know we are always a good, tight team that looks out for each other and does a lot of things together off the field, too,” he said. “We’ve always got each other’s backs, no matter what.”

Josh Hodgson of the Raiders is tackled by Manly’s Dylan Walker and Josh Starling.

Kiwi international Lewis Brown said the off-field issues were not the players’ focus.

“That’s out of our reach. That’s nothing to do with us, we can’t control what goes on there,” he said. “Our job is to come here to train and put our front foot forward for the best performance each weekend.

“We’ve got a lot of belief in this club and they will do everything right for us.

“Our focus is this Sunday against Penrith, down at Brookie, that we are all looking forward to.”