The Manly Sea Eagles have officially confirmed the signing of highly rated Warriors back-rower Kayliss Fatialofa, ending months of speculation surrounding one of rugby league's most sought-after young forwards.
As first revealed by Zero Tackle, the Auckland-born forward has signed a three-year contract with the Sea Eagles after activating a clause in his Warriors deal that allowed him to leave early in pursuit of his NRL dream.
Despite being contracted until the end of 2027, Fatialofa's management negotiated a release clause that permitted him to exit a season early if he had not made his NRL debut by Round 15 of the 2026 campaign. When that milestone came and went without an opportunity in first grade, the 21-year-old became one of the hottest prospects on the open market.
Zero Tackle understands as many as six rival clubs expressed interest in securing the highly touted second-rower, with Manly emerging as the frontrunner throughout negotiations.
A source also told Zero Tackle that a key factor in the move was Sea Eagles head coach Kieran Foran, whose strong ties to New Zealand played a significant role in convincing the Auckland product to make the move across the Tasman.
It is also understood that star back-rower Haumole Olakau'atu also played an important role in the recruitment process, with the representative forward understood to have spoken highly of Manly's culture and Foran's coaching, helping persuade Fatialofa that Brookvale was the right place to launch his NRL career.
Still awaiting his first-grade debut, Fatialofa has continued to impress in the NSW Cup this season. The powerful edge forward has made 14 appearances after featuring in the Warriors' 2025 premiership-winning reserve grade side.
His performances have only strengthened his reputation as one of the game's brightest young forwards, scoring five tries, producing five line breaks and maintaining a tackle efficiency above 90 per cent throughout the season.
His signature has been highly coveted for some time.
Fatialofa came close to joining the Penrith Panthers ahead of the 2026 season before Warriors coach Andrew Webster convinced him to remain in New Zealand at the last minute, resulting in the promising forward withdrawing from a proposed two-year deal.
Now, Manly believes it has secured one of the competition's premier emerging talents.
Sea Eagles head coach Kieran Foran said the club had been tracking Fatialofa's progress for some time.
"Kayliss is an incredibly talented player who has been on our radar for some time," Foran said.
"He's been ultra-consistent with his performances over the past few seasons and has established himself as one of the standout backrowers in the NSW Cup.
"He's an exciting young player who we believe has the athleticism and skill to make a real impact at NRL level.
"We are thrilled that Kayliss has chosen to join the Sea Eagles and we look forward to welcoming him and his family to our Club next season."
