How do Manly Sea Eagles replace Reuben Garrick in 2027

The Manly Sea Eagles will wave goodbye to long-term star outside back Reuben Garrick at the season's end.

The Gerringong Lions junior picked up a three-year deal with the Sydney Roosters starting in 2027 to link up with former teammate Daly Cherry-Evans at Bondi, if the 37-year-old decides to go round another year.

Garrick has been a longstanding veteran on the outside edges for Manly, playing at a highly consistent level and has always produced elite kicking off the tee on the Northern Beaches, highlighted by a Dally M Winger of the Year accolade in 2021. 

Garrick made the switch to Manly at the end of the 2018 NRL season, where he accepted an NRL offer after the St George Illawarra Dragons signalled to him he wasn't in the future plans of the club after not being offered an NRL squad position for season 2019.

After progressing through the Illawarra/South Coast pathways, Garrick remained stalled at NSW Cup level and failed to see a clear path towards the NRL with the Red V.

His switch to Manly proved to be pivotal in his career, and he hasn't left the NRL team since his arrival eight years ago, featuring at wing, centre and filling it at fullback for extended periods.

With his move looming closer, Manly coach Kieran Foran has a couple of options to explore for covering his soon-to-be vacant right centre position. 

What if Manly look internally?

The Sea Eagles enjoy the luxury of having elite outside back depth, with speed, power and experience covering all the positions.

The emergence of Clayton Faulalo in the fullback jersey suggests he is the man to slot in at right centre in 2027, given when all of Manly's squad is fit, he is most-likely going to be the one to miss out. He played right centre in the trials this year for the Sea Eagles and is as versatile as they come.

Foran has a huge call on his hands when he picks his team for Manly's next match against the Bulldogs, which will be extremely telling of what the long-term lineup of the side looks like when superstar Tom Trbojevic returns for selection. Reports suggest that Faulalo's minor hamstring injury he picked up in the Rabbitohs game doesn't seem to be too serious and could be in contention for selection after Manly's bye.

The Sea Eagles currently have six wonderful outside backs, and unfortunately, one will be missing out in the coming weeks, including Trbojevic, Garrick, Jason Saab, Tolutau Koula, Lehi Hopoate and Clayton Faulalo. Foran's call on who doesn't make it will be telling of the starters for the 2027 season.

With Faulalo's scintillating form at the back, Foran may also opt for Trbojevic to become the long-term right centre for Manly and leave the 26-year-old in the one jersey. A full preseason under their belts in the positions will form a lethal attacking combo with Saab on the right edge. We have all seen what 'Turbo' can do in the centres, especially at Origin level, but many, including myself, believe the fullback jersey is his until he says otherwise.

Josh Feledy has also burst onto the scene and shown great promise in the limited time he's been given.

The Wests Tigers poached the Manly junior, playing three NRL games over two seasons for the joint venture before returning to Manly in 2025. Since his homecoming, Feledy has played four games this year and has shown aggression and skill when given his chance in the NRL side. 

Other squad members include Aaron Schoupp, who has over 50 NRL games of experience in the centre position, headlined by a classy long-range try for the Sea Eagles at the backend of last year against the Dragons. However, Zero Tackle understands that moving forward in the Manly ranks, he is viewed as a second-row option. 

What if Manly look externally?

Fresh reports surfaced by NewsCorp on Thursday that Manly have become frontrunners to secure Starford To'a from the Wests Tigers. Despite inking a fresh two-year extension last year, To'a has fallen down the Tigers' ranks with Jake Averillo's arrival next year and the emergence of Heamasi Makasini.

A Tongan international, To'a has explosive power and could complement Saab well on the right edge for Manly. To'a has made 88 appearances in the NRL with 30 tries during his eight years in the top grade. 

Jesse Arthars remains an option for next year at the Sea Eagles after failing to come to terms with a transfer to the Gold Coast Titans. The Māori representative seems to have fallen down the pecking order of the Brisbane Broncos outside backs upon everyone being fit, and will be on unders if he were to re-sign.

Without a contract next year, Arthars comes with plenty of big-game experience, including a superb Grand Final performance in 2023, and a fresh start in Sydney could reignite the 27-year-old's career.

A left-field option for the Sea Eagles is to explore having Tommy Talau return across the bridge after a successful two-season stint on the Northern Beaches. Talau rekindled his career at the Sea Eagles after injuries hindered him from playing consistently for the Wests Tigers since his NRL debut at the club in 2019.

He signed a one-year deal with the Roosters after seeking a starting role which wasn't promised at Brookvale. Off-contract at year's end with the Roosters, Talau will make his club debut this weekend, although injuries have kept him struggling to stay on the park this season. The 26-year-old showed great promise when playing in the Sea Eagles' outside backs, recording 18 tries in 2024 in his club debut season. 

Garrick has donned the maroon and white 170 times for the Sea Eagles since his NRL debut in 2019, and his reliable boot sees him sit in third on the all-time highest point scorers in Manly's history sitting behind legends Jamie Lyon and Graham Eadie.

The leading point scorer in the side for the seventh consecutive year, the 28-year-old is likely to slot into Mark Nawaqanitawase's vacant wing position next year. Garrick scored 334 points on the wing in 2021, and holds the record for the most points by a player in the regular NRL season, crushing Hazem El Masri's 288 points set in 2004.