Garrick reveals why he went public early on Roosters switch

For seven seasons, Reuben Garrick has been one of Manly's most reliable weapons out wide and deeply embedded in the fabric of Brookvale.

The Illawarra junior scored 128 points last season, which included the 12 tries he put over the line in what was a chaotic season for Manly.

So when news broke that he would leave the Sea Eagles at the end of 2026 to join the Sydney Roosters on a three-year deal, the narrative wrote itself.

Garrick made it clear his decision was driven by something far more personal than his friendship with Daly Cherry-Evans.

“Everyone thinks that that's the main reason, but to be fair, I'm not going to be making a decision for my family's future and my own based off a mate who I'm going to have outside of footy,” Garrick told The Daily Telegraph.

The prospect of Garrick potentially reuniting with Cherry-Evans, someone with whom he has been inside the four walls at Manly, as it continues to exist with a heartbeat.

“It's great that he's there,” Garrick said.

“Who knows if he's going to play next year there or not, I guess it depends on how well they go this year and everything like that, but I'm excited about the future.”

Garrick was determined to avoid the drawn-out saga when it came to the news of him leaving Manly after the 2026 season.

Now, he is determined to help Manly be competitive this season and go out on a high note.

“I didn't want it to carry on all year," the Manly outside back said.

"Everyone knows straight away and then you can get on with the rest of the business, so that was the reason behind it.

“It's my eighth season here, so it was quite a long time. I would have loved to have just played here at Manly, but look, it wasn't the case.

“I'm 110 per cent in for the season here at Manly, and that's my sole goal is to hopefully win a comp here this year."