Magical bond of Mannah brothers

IN the wake of Eels prop Jon Mannah's tragic death, we've produced this touching story from our archives on his bond with brother Tim.

IN the wake of Eels prop Jon Mannah's tragic death, we've dug up this touching story from our 2011 archives on his bond with brother Tim.

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TIM Mannah laughs now when he thinks back to his days as a 15-year-old, when he would drag his younger brother into his team for the weekend.

Despite being 18 months younger, Jon Mannah was physically imposing and more than held his own against older rivals - but there was always a group that was particularly displeased with him being poached to play up a grade with his brother.

Mannah loses cancer battle

"His age group used to hate the fact we'd always steal him and take him away from their games," Tim recalls.

Even going back that far it was clear to most onlookers that the two giants who imposed themselves on games through sheer size had the potential to make a huge impact on rugby league.

Tim, with superior speed and evasiveness, was the star growing up, but Jon earned rave reviews as the youngster cutting his teeth against the older kids - a reputation that led to him being snapped up by Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart in 2009 ("If you ask some people at Parra they'll still tell you they kept the wrong Mannah," Tim laughs).

"[Playing up a year] made him a better player, it made him a lot tougher and he always seemed to lift when he was playing a tougher opposition," Tim adds.

When you look at the player Tim - a leader at Parramatta and a State of Origin-calibre prop by the age of 23 - has become it is hard to imagine that less than two years ago he was jealous of his younger brother, and was cursing himself for letting Jon advance his career so quickly.

"When I got my debut at 21, I thought that was pretty young and I was stoked about that and I didn't think Jonny would debut for a few more years after that, but he debuted a few weeks later [in Round 5] as a 19-year-old and that inspired me a fair bit," Tim explains.

"I remember thinking, 'I'm only young, I don't need to do too much in the NRL,' but then I saw him doing it and said to myself, 'Geez, he's only 19 and doing the same thing, surely I can step up a fair bit than what I'm doing at the moment.' I didn't want to get outdone by my brother."

Then fate intervened. In round 20 that season, Jon was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic cells.

hen Tim was barging his way into the NSW pack, Jon was in and out of hospitals undergoing chemotherapy. It was during this period Tim accepted Jon not just as his brother, but as his inspiration.

"As much as I tease Jonny and gee him up, in the back of my mind if anyone asks I'll always tell you how tough he is," Tim explains. "It's one thing to put on a front when you're in front of people and trying to act like everything is alright, that you're doing sweet during treatment.

"But for me to see the way he was at home and see that he wasn't putting on a front, that he was being who he was and staying positive - even in front of his family - that's what inspired me. He wasn't letting anyone feel sorry for him.

"It's not only what he went through, it's the way he handled himself ... That's something I will always respect him for.

"First he inspired me because he was a 19-year-old who was pushing me to do better things on the field, but now it's a whole new story knowing he's been through that and is still bouncing back. That tells me whatever comes my way I should be able to handle it with ease."

Jon is now 21 - the same age Tim was when he debuted - and has fought the battle of his life to overcome cancer. He is the first to admit that after a dream start he's fallen behind his brother but the same drive with which he beat the disease is now helping him try to equal Tim's outstanding achievements.

"The way we both started [in 2009], it was looking like we would [have similar careers] and that's the way I felt," Jon says. "We were both aiming up in our first years in the NRL, we had both cracked it in the same year and we were both playing good footy as front-rowers coming off the bench.

"It looked to be that way, but it didn't work out. I'm back on track now and playing footy so hopefully I can catch up to him and play some rep footy with him some day."

Cronulla assistant coach Joey Grima has had a long association with both Mannah boys, having coached them in Harold Matthews and SG Ball at the Eels before moving to the Sharks at the same time as Jon. Grima always knew he had something special with those two in his front row and he is warning the NRL to watch out for them now.

He feels that Jon now has the potential to really make his mark in 2011, while Tim should be a mainstay of NSW and the Kangaroos for the next decade.

"Having an off-season under his belt, free from any medication or any time away from league, that's when [Jon is] going to have his best year," Grima says. "I don't think he's going to represent Australia, but he's got a hell of a lot of NRL in front of him... the next two or three years are going to be monumental.

"And as for Timmy, I really feel that for NSW, Tim Mannah and Kade Snowden are the foundation stones for the next five to six years. That's how highly I rate Tim at the moment. He is arguably going to be the representative prop for the next five or six years.

"He's going to take over, he's going to be the guy for the next generation for NSW and Australia. Even as a 15-, 16-year-old his maturity exceeded his actual age and that shows on the footy field ... He's going to be something very special for a few years to come."

Grima admits he would love to reunite the brothers at Cronulla and see them rip into opposition defences in tandem like they did as juniors, but believes Parramatta will move heaven and earth to keep their rep prop.

"I would absolutely love to, but I dare say outside Jarryd Hayne, I'd say Tim Mannah is going to be an Eel for the rest of his life," he said. "They'd be crazy to let him go."

For the rest of his league career, Jon will visit the doctor every four months for blood tests to ensure the cancer has not returned, which he hopes will serve as a reminder of how far he has come to get back onto the footy field.

"They don't tell you you're cured of cancer until you've been in remission for 10 years," he says. "For the time being I'm still in remission and there's a chance of a relapse, but there's a good chance it might not come back ever again.

"I've never really stopped to think about where I've come from to where I am now, but It's pretty cool.
I guess it's something I should be really proud of."