Why Manly should negotiate release of $800k star Josh Schuster

If Manly isn’t negotiating the release of Josh Schuster, they should be. But this isn’t a slight on the richest 21-year-old in the game, David Riccio writes.

Josh Schuster in action for the Manly Sea Eagles. Picture: NRL Photos

If Manly aren’t thinking about severing ties with Josh Schuster now, they should be.

If Manly aren’t thinking about brokering a deal with a rival club, that includes chipping in to pay for a large portion of his impossible-to-fathom $800,000 contract, it’s irresponsible salary cap management.

This isn’t a slight on the prodigious talent.

It’s not his fault he’s the richest 21-year-old in the game.

Club’s pay the cheques. It’s not the other way around.

The Sea Eagles did the deal which is presently burning a hole in their salary cap.

Now they’ve been left to the dance, which is to invest valuable time and energy into a player who hasn’t strung more than four straight games together since 2021.

After a solid pre-season, Schuster has managed just three games so far this season and now he’s out until mid-May with a quad injury.

The deal has quickly become a migraine.

Josh Schuster’s deal is presently burning a hole in Manly’s salary cap. Picture: NRL Photos

From a club that tore-up the contract of a premiership-winning coach in Des Hasler, it would be naive not to consider the Sea Eagles aren’t capable of making a tough call.

Right now, the Sea Eagles are wearing the pain of paying massive money for potential.

They’re not alone in a field that includes the Titans with Ash Taylor, the Sharks with Karl Filiga and the Broncos with Anthony Milford.

No doubt, when he’s on the field, Schuster can play.

Rugby League immortal Bob Fulton has watched more games of rugby league than your columnist has eaten meat pies inside a press box.

“Bozo’’ was one of the first people to spot Schuster carving teams apart as a 13-year-old in the junior league.

The big barrel chest and the no-look pass was enough for Fulton to pull a contract from his glove box.

Schuster has been on his way to the top for a while now. He made his NRL debut back in 2020.

On Friday, it took a shuddering halt.

Manly young gun Josh Schuster’s career is at a crossroads. Picture: NRL Photos

Just 48 hours after Sea Eagles leader Daly Cherry-Evans, speaking with maturity and experience, said Schuster was at a career crossroads, his coach Anthony Seibold didn’t run from the comments of the club captain.

Coaches have to protect their players. That’s their job.

But knowing what the likes of Jarome Luai, Clint Gutherson, Matt Moylan and Reed Mahoney are contributing to their corresponding spines on less than $800,000, it would be foolish to think that deep down, Seibold wouldn’t have been sweating under his polo shirt about the value in return from his current five-eighth.

“What is concerning is that we can’t get one of our best players on the field, consistently,’’ Seibold said.

“That’s the bit we want to get right.

“He’s got to take ownership over the next few weeks.’’

Josh Schuster has played just three games in 2023. Picture: Getty Images

With the rest of the team in Brisbane for Magic Round next week, Schuster will stay in Sydney with a club physiotherapist and trainer.

“We thought the best thing was to take him out of playing for the next couple of weeks, recondition his body, recondition that quad injury and take the medium-term approach with Josh,’’ Seibold added.

“Because we need Josh at his best and we thought that was the best approach.

“We got the performance staff, the medical staff, myself, together with Josh, a collaborative approach to recondition his body, after a really stop-start nine weeks.

“I’ve got 100 per cent faith in him doing the job.

“I’ve shown that I’ve got his back, with regards to what I think of him, as a player.

“But he needs to own his career. And I think that’s where we’re at.’’

The issue for Manly is, how do you sell an $800,000 V8 with no engine?

The club’s detailed recovery plan for Schuster to get him back out onto the field, should be as much about getting their man back into first grade as it should be putting him back into the shop window.

The clock is ticking.

Originally published as Why Manly should negotiate release of $800k star Josh Schuster