‘He’s not a No. 6’: Schuster experiment over as tough call looms in wake of Brooks signing
The Josh Schuster five-eighth experiment at Manly is officially over after the young gun was given two clear options about his future.
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The Josh Schuster five-eighth experiment at Manly is officially over with the young gun reportedly told he can either play in the back row or leave.
It comes after the Sea Eagles signed playmaker Luke Brooks to partner Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves on a four-year deal worth $2.4 million.
Schuster, who has played eight games at No. 6 this season in an injury-plagued campaign, has a three-year extension offer sitting on the table.
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But if the 22-year-old accepts the deal through until the end of 2027 then it’ll be to play on an edge, which NRL great Gorden Tallis declared his best position.
“He’s not a No. 6, he’s a backrower… I think he’s one of the most skilful backrowers ever to play the game but when goes to five-eighth he doesn’t stay in the contest long enough,” Tallis said on NRL 360.
“Against Newcastle he had the best 20 minutes and then for the next 50 you don’t see him. To be a five-eighth you need a lot of game management and I don’t think he has that.”
Phil Rothfield said Schuster is “not an $800,000 player” which has been his reported salary this year.
“Schuster has not been working out at five-eighth for Manly I don’t believe, he plays ok in flashes but not steady enough for a whole season there,” Rothfield said.
“Schuster had a gentlemen’s agreement in his last contract that when Schuster went he’d play five-eighth, Anthony Seibold called him in today for a meeting before he’d announced Brooks and told him of his plan.
“And I’m told Schuster coped with it ok, he didn’t spit the dummy, he didn’t say I want to leave you promised me five-eighth so it will be interesting to see how it pans out.”
Brent Read said Schuster had two options.
“What it means for Schuster is he can either move to the edge or leave, he’s got a year left on his contract, they’ve offered him an extension so it’s up to him whether he takes it or not,” Read said.
“When he was offered the extension that’s currently on the table, there was no guarantee he’d play No. 6 as part of that.”
But Braith Anasta was optimistic for Schuster’s future at Manly.
“If he can just find his way in the back row, they’ve got Jake in the front row, Turbo at fullback, DCE, Brooks, all of a sudden there’s a bit of a formidable spine forming at Manly which they probably need,” he said.
“So if they can make those combinations work I think (Brooks) is a great signing.”
Originally published as ‘He’s not a No. 6’: Schuster experiment over as tough call looms in wake of Brooks signing
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