The Newcastle Knights have announced the extension of promising back rower Francis Manuleleua, taking his contract out to the end of 2028.
Manuleleua has burst onto the scene and has shown plenty of sparks in his eight games of first grade this year following his NRL debut in Round 3 this year.
Knights scouts identified the New Zealand product at 14-years-old, earmarking him for great things in the Hunter.
Coach Justin Holbrook says Manuleleua's work behind the scenes has earned him the opportunities in the top grade.
“Francis has always been an exciting young player; what has impressed me the most is how hard he has worked, both in preseason training since November and throughout the season,” Holbrook said in a Knights statement.
“He has always had the talent; what was lacking was the work ethic. To his credit, Francis has turned that around to get himself into a position to play NRL and become a regular NRL player.
“From a coaching point of view, you want to see how much a player progresses; Francis' attention to detail has ensured he has continued to improve every week.
“We are thrilled he has decided to continue his career with us at the Knights.”
Manuleleua has been damaging on the edge when given an opportunity, and is set to remain an important piece of Holbrook's vision in the Knights' future.
Knight's head of recruitment, Peter O'Sullivan, has been pleased to see the 22-year-old's development since he first identified him eight years earlier.
“We are very excited to see where Francis can get to in his career,” O'Sullivan said.
“Francis thoroughly deserves this extension; he has worked extremely hard and come a long way in the past 18 months, since joining the club.
“He has a wonderful family and support group around him; with this extension, he now has the opportunity to cement his place in our NRL squad each week.
“Francis is one of the most naturally gifted players we have at the Knights; his performances in NSW Cup and in the NRL has earned him credibility with the players and coaching staff.
“His ability to find space is second to none, and his upside is limitless, but it's his toughness, hard work and effort plays which has gained the most amount of respect from the group."
Manuleleua has been named to start in the second row this weekend, and will get further opportunities throughout the rest of the year with star edge back rower Dylan Lucas suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
The Knights will travel to the nation's capital to face the Canberra Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
