The Manly Sea Eagles face a fight to keep gun winger Reuben Garrick after he reportedly rejected the club’s latest contract offer in favour of hitting the open market on November 1. The 28-year-old has been at Manly since 2019, playing 157 games for the club after switching from the Dragons before his NRL debut.
He’s on a four-year deal that takes him to the end of 2026, meaning he can become a free agent on November 1 and negotiate with rival clubs for 2027. The Sea Eagles have reportedly been negotiating the terms of a new contract to keep him off the open market, but talks have broken down.
Anthony Seibold (L) and the Manly Sea Eagles could lose both Tom Trbojevic and Reuben Garrick (R) for 2027. Image: Getty
The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday that Garrick has rejected Manly’s latest offer of two more years. The Sea Eagles have reportedly offered a two-year deal worth around $1 million all up, but Garrick seemingly believes he can get more elsewhere.
Garrick has scored 89 tries in seven seasons in the NRL, as well as 492 goals. He’ll likely attract an offer from the Perth Bears if he hits the open market, ahead of the new team’s first season in the NRL in 2027. The cashed-up Dragons could also look to bring him back after seemingly making a mistake when they let him leave back in 2018.
With Garrick’s future at Manly under a cloud, it makes the decision to part ways with fellow outside back Tommy Talau a head-scratcher. Talau would be the perfect replacement for Garrick and come at a much lower price, but the club has opted not to offer him a deal for 2026.
Tom Trbojevic and Reuben Garrick will both hit the open market on November 1 if new deals aren’t finalised. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Tom Trbojevic’s future at Manly still unclear
The news about Garrick comes as another blow for Manly fans after Daly Cherry-Evans’ departure and uncertainty around Tom Trbojevic. The superstar fullback is under contract until the end of 2026 on $1.3 million per season.
The oft-injured star knows he can’t expect to stay on similar money, but recently rejected a new deal worth just $750,000 per year. If a new deal isn’t finalised this month, the former Dally M medallist will also become a free agent for 2027 on November 1.
Trbojevic’s camp thought they’d settled on a new three-year deal worth $850,000 per season, only for Manly to reduce their offer by $100,000 annually. There was reportedly some confusion around guaranteed money as opposed to increases sparked by ratchet clauses.
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Trbojevic has stated he could look to move to the UK Super League if things don’t come together, and Sam Burgess’ Warrington Wolves are said to be interested. But Trbojevic’s agent Paul Sutton told SEN radio last month he can’t see him leaving Manly. “We thought we had a deal done, didn’t quite work out. It went a bit pear-shaped and we’ve just got to renegotiate the deal,” Mat Rogers reported Sutton as saying.
“He’s confident that the deal will get done and Tommy will be at the Manly Sea Eagles. He doesn’t want to go anywhere else.”
Scott Sattler said: “He’s got a major influence on recruitment at the club because players want to play with a player like him and his brothers as well. He’s everything good about Manly. I sort of sit in between. Is he worth the $950,000 based on games and the data? Probably not, but he’s worth more than the $750,000 that’s being reported. There’s got to be a happy medium, and I think they’ll get to it.”