Manly Sea Eagles 2025 NRL season scouting report: Best 17, every player’s contract status, rookie watch
After a quiet summer on the market, it’ll be down to Daly Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers to push Manly on a premiership run. DEAN RITCHIE looks at their best 17, rookies to watch, burning questions and more.
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If Manly are to take the next step, it’ll have to come from within on the northern beaches.
The Sea Eagles were among the quietest clubs in the marketplace over the summer, with veteran Jazz Tevaga and Sio Siua Taukeiaho the only serious additions to last year’s squad.
Instead it’ll again be down to the health and form of their big-money stars in Daly Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers to push for a premiership run.
With Cherry-Evans in the twilight of his career, time is of the essence.
Dean Ritchie glances over how their 2025 campaign looks.
Free agency wrap & rating
Manly have signed a couple of hard-nut forwards in Siosiua Taukeiaho from Catalans and Jazz Tevaga from the Warriors. Taukeiaho has been hampered by injury in recent seasons but was among the best front-rowers in rugby league during his Roosters tenure.
At 29, Tevaga has another three to four years remaining in the game and has already played 138 NRL games.
Difficult to see either starting, but both will be used either from the bench or as back-up.
Manly have also signed Michael Chee Kam from Souths and Joey Walsh from rugby union. “Joey has been an elite player at schoolboy level. He was the Australian under 18s rugby fly-half and captain last year,” said Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold.
Manly lost a host of players after 2024 but none of any high status. Karl Lawton (North Queensland) will be missed but the club didn’t fight too hard to retain the others although Jaxson Paulo (also to the Cowboys) enjoyed some fine moments at Brookvale. Enigmatic Josh Schuster was released mid-season while Aaron Woods and Brad Parker retired.
RATING: B
Coach status & safety rating
The Sea Eagles ensured there’d be no doubt over the status of coach Anthony Seibold, handing him a two-year extension that keeps him to the end of the 2027 season.
Having started with a 12th-place finish in 2023 and then leading them to a semi-final last year, all signs point toward a genuine look at a decider in 2025.
Seibold has also overseen the emergence of Lehi Hopoate, the revivals of Nathan Brown and Luke Brooks, and the evergreen play of Cherry-Evans.
So he’s got everything he needs: a star-studded spine, a robust forward pack, and speed and skill in the backline. A bit of luck injury-wise and the Sea Eagles should be thereabouts.
RATING: A
Likely debutant(s)
Joey Walsh is an 18-year-old halfback who has impressed Manly powerbrokers, while the club also has a high opinion of lock Caleb Navale, who has already represented Fiji.
Five-eighth Onitoni Large, a former Junior Wallabies captain who represented NSW under-16s, played juniors with Wests Magpies. Identified early as an elite junior, Large is a running five-eighth who also offers versatility.
Prop Simione Laiafi is well regarded, as is fellow front-rower Mia Pua’avase, who was recruited from North Queensland. Laiafi is a former Australian Schoolboys prop who played against PNG and France.
Zaidas Muagututia is an 18-year hooker who has previously represented Canterbury and NSW City under 18s while Tyler Melrose is a 17-year-old half who comes from Yeppoon, Queensland.
Who takes the next step
Rookie Lehi Hopoate has set himself up to become the next elite player in the NRL.
Hopoate, just 19, burst into first grade this year and ended up playing 19 games at fullback and on the wing.
Weighing just 82kg, Hopoate showed considerable skill and courage which resulted in selection for Tonga during the end-of-season Pacific Championships.
Hopoate played three Tests for the Tongans. He will look to add some weight to his lean figure and then step forward to nail down a full-time spot next season.
Manly officials are supremely confident Hopoate can take his game to another lofty level.
While gifted and quick, centre Tolu Koula still has another gear to find. He may not even start in the centres next season ahead of Reuben Garrick and Tommy Talau. While Manly has a massive opinion of Koula, some fans don’t believe he has progressed and developed as fast as initially anticipated. Koula has the evasiveness and pure speed to become an NRL sensation. Maybe this will be the season where Koula consistently clicks his career into top gear.
The three burning issues
Can Daly Cherry-Evans continue to star next season at age 36?
Remarkably, Cherry-Evans is becoming a more complete player the older he gets. His form is remaining at a consistently elite level and his form has shown absolutely no signs of toppling off a cliff. It will be interesting to see whether DCE retires from rep footy. He hasn’t given any indication that he will, but Queensland has stellar halves options in Cam Munster and Tom Dearden. Manly won’t pressure Cherry-Evans into relinquishing rep footy, meaning the veteran may go around one more time to torment the NSW Blues.
Do Manly have what it takes to tackle the NRL big guns?
The Sea Eagles showed last season that they can mix it with the very best. Manly won week one of the finals against Canterbury but were eliminated the following week against Sydney Roosters. Manly is most certainly a top eight side, some suggest a top four side team. But Manly would need to find a fair bit more to tackle heavyweights Penrith and Melbourne. Manly is a good footy side – but remains a solid level or two short of being a great side.
How good can Haumole Olakau’atu become?
This bloke is fierce and ferocious. Olakau’atu is already among the most aggressive edge forwards in the game – and he will only get better. Unlucky to be dumped from State of Origin this year, Olakau’atu is undertaking a robust off-season training program and may well become the most damaging forward in the NRL next season. Manly boasts a top-shelf pack including Jake and Ben Trbojevic, Taniela Paseka, Josh Aloiai and newcomers Jazz Tevaga and Siosiua Taukeiaho.
Crystal ball
Manly will improve on last season and be right there at the death. Week two of the finals this season was strong but Manly will be seeking a preliminary finals finish in 2025, maybe even a grand final appearance, their first since 2013.
2025 odds
Winners: $15
Minor premiership: $13
Top 4: $3.25
Top 8: $1.65
Most losses: $34
Originally published as Manly Sea Eagles 2025 NRL season scouting report: Best 17, every player’s contract status, rookie watch
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