{"id":866353,"date":"2026-08-24T05:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T05:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/866353\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T05:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T05:50:13","slug":"joey-manu-signs-with-png-chiefs-007-revealed-nrl-signing-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/866353\/","title":{"rendered":"Joey Manu signs with PNG Chiefs, 007 revealed, NRL signing news"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two-time premiership winner Joey Manu has signed with the PNG Chiefs.<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old officially signed a two-year deal with the NRL\u2019s newest franchise, becoming the club\u2019s highly anticipated Chief 007.<\/p>\n

The label of Chief 007 has been \u2018reserved\u2019 on the club\u2019s social media pages for several months, with many hinting it could be held for a marquee halfback like Nathan Cleary or Sam Walker.<\/p>\n

But instead, cross-code star Manu has been awarded the label.<\/p>\n

Manu left the Sydney Roosters in 2024 to play rugby union in Japan and France. <\/p>\n

However, in recent months he has been linked with a return to rugby league. And now he has agreed to line up with the Chiefs in their inaugural year in 2028.<\/p>\n

News.com.au understands Manu verbally signalled his intent to join the franchise during a trip to PNG with his family last month, before officially agreeing to terms on a two-year deal on Sunday night. <\/p>\n

He will join Jarome Luai, Alex Johnston, Connor Watson, Matty Lees, Zac Lomax and Brian To\u2019o as players signed to the club. <\/p>\n

It is understood that Manu has been signed to play in the centres.<\/p>\n

It means the Chiefs have now filled both wing and centre positions, with PNG now eyeing a top class halfback and potentially a fullback when November 1 rolls around.<\/p>\n

Speaking about the signing of Manu, PNG Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson said the star outside back was another significant acquisition for the club. <\/p>\n

\u201cJoey is another key signing for us and a further demonstration of the ambition we have for this club in making an impact for the people of Papua New Guinea,\u201d McPherson said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis connection to the Pacific, his character, experience and standing in the game will have a profound impact on our club. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe understands the responsibility that comes with representing something bigger than himself, and we believe he can have a genuine impact on our young players and the next generation of Papua New Guineans \u2013 who we are proud to represent as a club.\u201d <\/p>\n

In addition to his 69 tries scored in 181 NRL games, Manu has also made 17 Test match appearances for New Zealand and was named the Golden Boot winner in 2022. <\/p>\n

PNG is also expected to try and lure Canberra back rower Hudson Young to the Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Last week the Raiders tabled a $3.3 million contract for Young, the most lucrative offer in Canberra\u2019s 44-year history.<\/p>\n

However, Young turned that offer down and now appears likely to test his value on the open market. <\/p>\n

Originally published as Joey Manu signs with PNG Chiefs as club\u2019s 007 locked in<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two-time premiership winner Joey Manu has signed with the PNG Chiefs. The 30-year-old officially signed a two-year deal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":866354,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[385344,435216,435189,421045,435223,435219,34942,435199,435205,8288,25668,435226,435212,387745,435208,435186,435188,435213,390902,381261,376769,435210,381659,392277,113536,4558,404966,406857,435201,64,63,395807,435192,50661,2667,435206,435204,10970,4568,435215,435227,435217,423700,386820,376761,435214,380516,435221,4582,126197,435225,67651,265187,435207,339355,387921,13052,1203,761,762,1736,35062,150443,158,395167,435222,27284,435191,7820,15560,234580,435211,401954,435198,159,2633,435202,435220,36682,85,8825,3604,435187,435203,435197,99646,435224,382205,379840,74713,435193,435190,435200,390062,380184,380495,38649,379066,396169,44448,386825,423197,435195,435196,435194,435209,386823,435218,2969,22332],"class_list":["post-866353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-the-30-year-old","tag-s-007","tag-s-44-year-history-however","tag-s-newest-franchise","tag-s-social-media-pages","tag-s-star-backline","tag-34942","tag-17-test-match-appearances","tag-181-nrl-games","tag-8288","tag-25668","tag-2028-news-com-au","tag-a-3-3-million-contract","tag-a-club","tag-a-fullback","tag-a-further-demonstration","tag-a-genuine-impact","tag-a-marquee-halfback","tag-a-profound-impact","tag-a-return","tag-a-statement","tag-a-top-class-halfback","tag-a-trip","tag-a-two-year-deal","tag-addition","tag-alex-johnston","tag-an-impact","tag-another-key-signing","tag-another-significant-acquisition","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-biggest-star","tag-both-wing-and-centre-positions","tag-brian-too","tag-canberra","tag-chief-007","tag-chief-007-the-label","tag-club","tag-connor-watson","tag-cross-code-star-manu","tag-experience-and-standing","tag-his-69-tries","tag-his-character","tag-his-connection","tag-his-family","tag-his-intent","tag-his-value","tag-japan-and-france","tag-jarome-luai","tag-joey","tag-joey-manu-signs","tag-last-month","tag-manu","tag-many-hinting","tag-matty-lees","tag-mcpherson","tag-monday","tag-nathan-cleary","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-new-zealand","tag-night","tag-november-1","tag-nrl","tag-our-club","tag-our-young-players","tag-papua-new-guinea","tag-papua-new-guineans","tag-players","tag-png","tag-png-chiefs","tag-png-chiefs-ceo-lorna-mcpherson","tag-recent-months","tag-rower-hudson-young","tag-rugby-league","tag-rugby-union","tag-sam-walker-but","tag-several-months","tag-shape","tag-sports","tag-sunday","tag-terms","tag-that-offer","tag-the-ambition","tag-the-centres-it","tag-the-chiefs","tag-the-chiefs-last-week","tag-the-club","tag-the-franchise","tag-the-game","tag-the-golden-boot-winner","tag-the-label-manu","tag-the-most-lucrative-offer","tag-the-next-generation","tag-the-nrl","tag-the-open-market","tag-the-pacific","tag-the-people","tag-the-png-chiefs","tag-the-raiders","tag-the-responsibility","tag-the-signing","tag-the-star-outside","tag-the-sydney-roosters","tag-their-highly-anticipated-007-signing","tag-their-inaugural-year","tag-this-club","tag-two-time-premiership-winner-joey-manu","tag-young","tag-zac-lomax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866353\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/866354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}