‘Madness’: Schuster’s ‘staggering’ deal baffles in Manly ‘shake-up’

Manly’s signing spree has been criticised after Josh Schuster and Luke Brooks signed on, leaving the Sea Eagles’ salary cap even more bloated.

Josh Schuster and Luke Brooks.

Manly’s signing spree has been criticised after Josh Schuster and Luke Brooks were signed on to long-term deals adding to an already bloated Sea Eagles’ salary cap.

Current five-eighth Schuster is set to switch back to the back row when Brooks joins the club in 2024 to play in the halves with Daly Cherry-Evans, until the club’s skipper retires.

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“Josh Schuster signed a three-year deal with Manly only a day after Luke Brooks signed a four year deal, so this is positive news for the Sea Eagles,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.

“They were worried about losing Schuster with speculation he was looking elsewhere and some interest from the Tigers. But $2.5 million dollars for a back-rower?”

Schuster’s new deal makes him the third highest paid back-rower in the game despite scoring four tries in just 44 NRL games since his debut in 2020, with the 22-year-old only playing more than 13 games in a season once to date.

Josh Schuster is set to switch back to the back row.

Paul Crawley believes the money Manly are paying Schuster for a back-rower based on potential doesn’t make sense.

“Madness, just madness,” Crawley said.

“Yesterday I thought they got themselves a pretty good deal with Luke Brooks. They got him for $660,000 a season over four years. Not bad money for an NRL playmaker.

“But to spend $800,000 plus a season on a guy that, with what we have seen so far from Josh Schuster is that he is supremely talented, but has he got the work ethic? And has he got the mental and physical toughness to cut it week in and week out, season after season as an NRL edge forward?

“When you put his wage up against the top back-rowers in the game, I think there is Fifita on $1 million, Marata Niukore ($840,000) and Tyson Frizell on $750,000.”

Anasta revealed the calibre of back-rowers that are now earning less than Schuster.

“He is now the third highest paid back-rower in the competition,” Anasta said.

“Some other notables that are getting paid less than Schuster, Felise Kaufusi is on $750,000, Viliame Kikau ($750,000), Haumole Olakau’atu ($650,000), Briton Nikora (600,000), Jeremiah Nanai ($550,000).

“Liam Martin is not even on the list, which says a lot. This is a lot of money for a guy that is going from five-eighth into the back row.

“And he is really unproven, not only on field as a player. He has plenty of potential. He is without a doubt one of the most skilful players in the competition, but he is still unproven.

“And even off the field in terms of his discipline and his ability to train like the rest of them.”

Gorden Tallis thought Schuster’s decision to not play at the World Cup was mature, but it is yet to yield the results for Manly.

“That’s the worrying signs because he sat out of the World Cup to get himself right to have a big season,” Tallis said.

“That’s when I went wow, that’s a great move and I thought it was really mature and it was time to elevate his game.

“Then he has had a lot of opportunities this year with blokes out for him to stand up and own some performances and that’s at five-eighth and that’s where he wanted to play and it was a bit of a handshake deal.”

“That is why Kieran Foran left,” Crawley interjected.

Dave Riccio was stunned Manly would pay that much for a back-rower and has concerns it could push their already bloated salary cap to breaking point.

“Every single one of those players on that list have represented their state or country and Josh has just one Test for Samoa at this time,” Riccio said.

“I think it is staggering. I am absolutely gobsmacked on how Manly can justify going to that level of salary for someone that is so unproven in the back row position.

“When you look at the way the back-rower plays he is very much a ball playing back-rower.

“But all those back-rowers on that list are powerful ball runners and hole runners.

“Second to that I have got some major concerns in regards to this salary. When you start to factor in Daly Cherry-Evans’ salary, which is ($1.2 million), Tom Trbojevic’s ($1.1 million), Jake Trbojevic ($900,000).

“Luke Brooks’s four year deal. Why they want four years for Brooks I’m not too sure. I don’t know if that was necessary.

“They have got a lot of money now with Schuster on $800,000 to the point where I have got no doubt the roster will need a shake-up and someone will fall out.

“It has to, you can’t have that much money tied up in five to six players.”

Luke Brooks will partner Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves in 2024.

Anasta believes Manly have made big moves to try and build a premiership team before Cherry-Evans retires.

“They are going all in, so they will end up having to lose some players there is no doubt,” Anasta said.

“Players will have to leave the club over the back end of the season. But they have still bought well.

“They needed to work quick because they have paid so much on their salary cap, so they need success instantly.”

However, Riccio believes the success of Manly’s moves depend on how Schuster develops and whether they can keep a title winning calibre squad together.

“I can’t argue that they have bought well when they are paying almost double what I believe after my conversations today around the game, Schuster sits around the $400,000 mark,” Riccio said.

“I believe they are going to have to tap a player or two on the shoulder.

“And why did they have to go to four years with Brooks? I didn’t see seven or eight clubs banging down the door to sign Brooks.

“They also don’t have an elite hooker on their books with respect to Lachlan Croker.”

Originally published as ‘Madness’: Schuster’s ‘staggering’ deal baffles in Manly ‘shake-up’