Manly Sea Eagles forward facing early retirement

A Manly Sea Eagles forward is reportedly facing the prospect of being forced into an early retirement due to multiple injury issues, mainly a recurring shoulder injury.

A five-time international for Samoa, Sea Eagles forward Josh Aloiai has continually been dealing with a shoulder injury this season that has only allowed him to play five matches.

This comes after he agreed to a two-year contract extension to remain at the club in the middle of 2024 on a contract worth around $1 million for those two seasons.

Recently forced from the field in Round 13 against the Brisbane Broncos, the former Wests Tigers front-rower has looked far from his best in 2025 and spent a significant chunk of time on the sidelines as he deals with the injury.

According to News Corp, there are now concerns that Aloiai could potentially be forced into early retirement. However, the club is still seeking medical opinions to determine if his shoulder can be healed and rehabilitated.

It is understood that the Sea Eagles have yet to initiate the process with the NRL regarding his potential retirement on medical grounds, per the publication.

However, if he was forced to retire, this would make him the third NRL star to do so this year, following Justin Olam (Wests Tigers) and Tohu Harris (New Zealand Warriors).