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If you glance in the direction of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles after their terrible start to the season, the future may appear glum on the Northern Beaches.
Manly sit at the bottom of the ladder with only one victory, a lengthy injury list, a busted-up forward pack, an under pressure club legend as a coach and the terrible truth that two star playmakers Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran will be gone by the end of the season.
There is always hope though. Young Tom Trbojevic could be the next big thing and Clint Gutherson has fantastic potential once he recovers from his season-ending injury.
With Peta Hiku and Jorge Taufua also at the club, there a plenty of quality young backline players at the disposal of coach Toovey in the coming seasons.
The three main questions for Manly should be:
1) How do we replace Cherry-Evans and Foran?
2) How do we reinvigorate our forward pack?
3) How do we cover for the aging Jamie Lyon and Matt Ballin?
I believe the answer to all three questions is the same.
Super League.
Cherry-Evans and Foran are fantastic players who are currently commanding big salaries and are leaving for even bigger pay packets to other NRL clubs. Players currently plying their trade in Super League will command much less money then the stars Manly are losing, leaving more money in the salary cap to add muscle to their forward pack and eventually replace Jamie Lyon and Matt Ballin.
These are the six players should be chasing.
Todd Carney (Catalans Dragons), five-eighth
There is no need for me to explain how good Carney is, just watch him play. Yes, Carney is a risk due to his past problems off the paddock, and there is a chance his contract may not be registered by the NRL. But if Manly don’t at least try, they will never know.
Albert Kelly (Hull Kingston Rovers), halfback
Freakishly talented but also inconsistent, Kelly is currently setting Super League on fire. If he wants to return home, Manly would be silly not to make him an offer.
Alex Walmsley (St Helens), prop
A genuine big-bopper, Walmsley is all about size and aggression. A big powerful carrier of the ball, he would get Manly going forward again, something that has been a problem for a while and is only getting worse.
Walmsley will play for England over the coming seasons. He is only 25 and still improving.
Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves), prop
An England international, Hill has a big strong body with good footwork. He is not an explosive carrier but makes big metres and gets his side on the front foot.
I’d say he’s similar to Kade Snowden, when Snowden is in form.
Michael McIllorum (Wigan Warriors), hooker
A completely different player to Matt Ballin, McIllorum would bring relentless aggression to the middle of the field.
Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos), right centre
The one word to describe Watkins? Classy. Watkins would be the perfect replacement for Jamie Lyon as he is similar to Blake Ferguson without Ferguson’s off-field dramas.
Its fair to say that these players may be happy where they already are, especially the English players, but if you don’t ask you don’t get. Manly need to look to the future, the problems they have will not be solved by pining for Cherry-Evans or Foran.
If Manly wish to remain competitive over the coming seasons, they could do no worse than looking to the Old Dart for solutions.
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