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Sport Nation
Healey primed to seize opportunity in high-stakes showdown against Sea Eagles
Sport Nation • September 3rd, 2025 9:06 am
Sam Healey's running game on display | Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
The NZ Warriors will travel to Manly for their critical clash with the Manly Sea Eagles without hooker Wayde Egan.
The incumbent starting hooker has succumbed to another injury in a season littered with injury-related absences, expected to miss just the one game due to a hip complaint.
While it's a blow to the Warriors' depth, having rising rake Sam Healey waiting in the wings eases that blow significantly.
Healey will don the No. 9 jersey for the third time this season when the side takes to Brookvale Oval, with utility Te Maire Martin likely to provide support from the interchange.
Pending Thursday night's result between the Broncos and the Storm, the Warriors will need victory to keep their hopes of a top-four finish on life support.
While Egan's yeoman-like play will be missed, Healey arguably offers more from an attacking perspective, having shown glimpses of his offensive creativity in limited spells from the bench in recent rounds.
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Friday night will offer the 23-year-old an enormous opportunity to prove his mettle against the Sea Eagles, who will be playing both to keep their own slim chances alive and give departing veteran Daly Cherry-Evans a fitting farewell.
For Healy, it's all about focusing on the basics, from which he's adamant the flair will sprout organically.
"I think Webby just wants me to do my job," Healey told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy.
"He's made it pretty simple for me to just nail it down and do the simple things right. I think if I do that, it'll just only help the boys and I think everything else comes off the back of that."
It's another step on a precipitous rise for the English-born Aussie, who was snapped up from the Cronulla Sharks - the club where his father Mitch Healey earned 222 first-grade appearances over a 12-year - after leading their NSW Cup team to Grand Final victory last year.
"I've obviously come a long way from the start of the year," Healey admits.
"Even last year I was coming off the bench for Newtown, so to be able to start in an NRL game is pretty cool.
"I feel like I've done a lot of reps in the pre-season and I'm confident enough now to do it. I'm looking forward to it."
Healey's injection is one of two changes from the squad which fell to the Parramatta Eels at home last weekend, with Tanner Stowers-Smith moving into the starting lineup.
Tune into Sport Nation for live commentary of the NZ Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles this Friday from 7.30pm, kick-off at 8pm.
