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How to tune into Sport NationSeibold concedes Sea Eagles face tough battle to retain Garrick
Sam Kosack • November 25th, 2025 9:50 pm
Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold has conceded the club is facing stiff competition to keep Reuben Garrick as offers ramp up for the star centre.
Garrick is entering his eighth season at Manly having debuted with the club back in 2019 and has played 157 games for the club to date.
However, the versatile outside back is no certainty to be at the club in 2027 having reportedly drawn attention from the Roosters and Dragons, as well as the Perth Bears.
The 28-year-old was a Dragons junior and has strong family connections to the area, while close friend Daly Cherry-Evans has recently made the shift to the Roosters, who will have cap space as they lose Mark Nawaqanitawase in 2027.
The Sea Eagles are rumoured to have offered Garrick a two-year deal worth $1.1 million but are preparing to raise the offer’s value as competition for his signature heats up.
“It’s a really competitive market at the moment,” Seibold told SEN 1170 Sportsday.
“With the Bears coming in in 2027, Papua New Guinea coming in in 2028, and then you’ve got the Super League clubs whose competition’s been beefed up from 12 to 14 teams, there’s probably never been as many opportunities to be a professional rugby league player.
“Obviously I've had conversations with Reuben, we'd love to keep him, he's a great athlete and a very good player.
“He's played at a high standard for a long period of time, but there's considerable interest in players like Reuben.
“So, we're competing with others. We'd love to keep him, certainly, over the next couple of days, we'll continue that process.
“On a personal level, Reuben knows where he sits in our team and the value he brings to us but… it’s a competitive market right now.”
As the player signing market continues to heat up, the Sea Eagles’ landed a major signing coup in Canberra Raiders’ halfback Jamal Fogarty, who replaces the outgoing Daly Cherry-Evans.
Fogarty previously spent time at the Gold Coast Titans and led the Raiders to a minor premiership last season, and will lead the Sea Eagles’ around for the next three seasons.
The veteran halfback will provide mentoring and leadership for Manly’s young halves, including Joey Walsh and Onitoni Large, with Seibold revealing Fogarty returned to pre-season two weeks earlier than permitted by the RLPA.
“We're gonna miss Chez (Cherry-Evans), there's no doubt about it. He's been an elite halfback for us for 15 seasons, and we wanted to make sure we got the right person in to go forward and we felt like Jamal was that,” Seibold shared
“This probably says it all about him. He started two weeks earlier than he was expected at training and he got permission from the RLPA to come in early.
“I reckon that says volumes about his character.”
Fogarty will act as an important leader within the Manly playing group, now led by Tom Trbojevic who was recently appointed captain of the club.
Trbojevic is a local junior of the club, growing up playing for the Mona Vale Raiders on the Northern Beaches, with Seibold identifying the fullback’s influence on the playing group as the key reason behind naming him captain.
“When you look to pick a leader of your club, you look at the influence they have on the field, the influence they have off the field, how they can help others in the team through their actions and their voice, and Turbo fitted the bill in all those aspects,” Seibold said.
“We have a lot of good leaders at the club. Obviously, Jake Trbojevic has been New South Wales captain and captained Manly at different times over the years, as Turbo has, Haumole Olakau'atu’s really come on as an emerging leader for us and bringing Jamal Fogarty in… he's a former captain of the Gold Coast Titans so we've got plenty of choices.
“I felt as though Turbo would have the most influence on us as a group, on and off the field. He’s very excited about the opportunity that’s in front of him and being a Manly boy makes it a little bit like a dream for Turbo.
“He’s had some challenges with his injury battle. If you actually look at the amount of time he’s been available over the last two years, he’s played a considerable amount of footy.
“It’s not just what they do on the field. Anyone who knows him knows he’s so diligent as an athlete. He works really hard to get his body right. He’s a great role model in the community around the Northern Beaches.”
