Sea Eagles declare NRL pathway for local juniors will continue

THE Sea Eagles have declared that their new association with the Blacktown Workers rugby league club won’t effect junior footballers on the peninsula.

Manly junior rugby league teams the Harbord Devils play the Cromer Kingfishers in the under nines/.

THE Sea Eagles have declared that their new association with the Blacktown Workers rugby league club will have no effect on the junior footballers on the peninsula.

They say the pathway will still be there for them to follow in the footsteps of locals Darcy Lussick and Tom and Jake Trbojevic, who are currently starring in the Manly NRL side.

Board member Peter Peters said the new arrangement did not mean the club would be launching attacking raids players on players from the western suburbs at the expense of those born and bred on the northern beaches.

Sea Eagles' Darcy Lussick tackled by Cowboys' defence including from left, Jake Granville, Scott Bolton (at back) and Patrick Kaufusi during the Round 16 NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Manly Sea Eagles at 1300 Smiles Stadium in Townsville, Monday, June 27, 2016. (AAP Image/Michael Chambers) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

“Our junior league is weak, we have quality but we don’t have quantity,” Peters said.

“And most clubs in the NRL have arrangements with well-heeled areas like the Mounties at Mt Pritchard where the Raiders send their players and the Roosters have Wyong.

“And the opportunity is there for our kids to come through and that will always be case as it has been for 70 years.”

The main change is that next year contracted players who don’t make the top 17 NRL squad will play for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles in the NSW Cup.