NRL best 17s for 2025: Manly Sea Eagles

The Manly Sea Eagles have so often based their game plan on Tom Trbojevic or bust in recent years, and while that is less so the case heading into 2025, they will still need plenty from their marquee man if they are to match the finals making feat of last year.

Trbojevic's fitness has been one of the NRL's biggest questions in recent years, and that is no different heading into 2025 after he managed to play 20 games last go around.

The fullback's position is less secure this year too given Anthony Seibold's desire to keep him fit, and the other breakout talent making its way through the system on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

The Sea Eagles, beyond their star, could also be heading into the final year of halfback Daly Cherry-Evans' career, and will also be hoping for continued improvement out of a host of young guns who have the ability to carry the club into the future.

New signings in the forwards should also see improvement out of the Sea Eagles when it comes to the week to week middle third battle.

Here is how the Zero Tackle team see the Sea Eagles lining up in 2025.

Recruitment report

Ins: Siosiua Taukeiaho (Catalans Dragons, 2025), Jazz Tevaga (New Zealand Warriors, 2025)

Outs: Bailey Hodgson (Leigh Leopards), Jamie Humphreys (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Karl Lawton (North Queensland Cowboys), Brad Parker (retired), Jaxson Paulo (North Queensland Cowboys), Josh Schuster (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Aaron Woods (retired)

Re-signed: Josh Aloiai (2027), Nathan Brown (2026), Gordon Chan Kum Tong (2025), Haumole Olakau'atu (2031), Taniela Paseka (2029), Jason Saab (2029), Ben Trbojevic (2027), Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega (2025), Corey Waddell (2027)

Off-contract at end of 2025: Jake Arthur, Ethan Bullemor, Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Daly Cherry-Evans, Clayton Faulalo, Aitasi James, Dean Matterson, Aaron Schoupp, Toafofa Sipley, Tommy Talau, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Jazz Tevaga, Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega

Full squad

Josh Aloiai, Jake Arthur, Luke Brooks, Nathan Brown, Ethan Bullemor, Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Daly Cherry-Evans, Lachlan Croker, Clayton Faulalo, Reuben Garrick, Aitasi James, Tolutau Koula, Dean Matterson, Haumole Olakau'atu, Taniela Paseka, Jason Saab, Aaron Schoupp, Jake Simpkin, Toafofoa Sipley, Tommy Talau, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Jazz Tevaga, Ben Trbojevic, Jake Trbojevic, Tom Trbojevic, Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega, Corey Waddell, Joey Walsh

Supplementary contracts: Lehi Hopoate, Simione Laiafi, Zaidas Muagututia, Caleb Navale, D'Jazirhae Pua'avase

Who plays where?

Fullback
As mentioned, so much of the Sea Eagles' performance in recent years has come down to the production of Tom Trbojevic, who is among the best fullbacks in the game when fit.

Coach Anthony Seibold dabbled with him in the centres at one point in 2025, and while it's not a trend likely to continue, it's not out of the question as he attempts to keep Trbojevic on the park.

The question will only continue to grow as the experience and form of Tolutau Koula and Lehi Hopoate continue to build and improve.

Both players are stars in the making. Koula has already found a home at centre, while Hopoate will fight for a role from the development squad throughout 2025.

Reuben Garrick is the other option to play fullback, and has done so strongly in Trbojevic's absence during recent seasons.

Wingers
Jason Saab is battling to return from ankle surgery at the end of the 2024 season, but will kick off the 2025 campaign on the wing.

The towering winger has a bundle of uncoachable assets with his height, pace and ability under the high ball, but consistency has also been a question in recent years.

Despite that, he will be part of Manly's best 17 again in 2025.

We have given the other wing spot to Tommy Talau, who has been impressive during his time on the park for Manly.

Lehi Hopoate could be the player to push both Talau and Saab for a spot throughout 2025, while Clayton Faulalo was impressive in the NSW Cup and during his NRL debut last year.

Centres
In the centres, it's two of the fullback back-up options who should feature more often than they won't, with Tolutau Koula and Reuben Garrick our leading options to feature in the three-quarter line for the Northern Beaches-based side.

Koula has been a star in the making for many years and began to realise that potential throughout 2025, while Garrick has been strong in attack since his move to centre, but still has plenty of work to do at the other end of the park.

The lingering Tom Trbojevic factor has already been discussed and he could well find himself in the centres at times during the year.

Faulalo and Lehi Hopoate are both among the back-up options in the centres for Manly, while Aaron Schoupp and utility Dean Matterson are the other players who could feature throughout the campaign.

Halves
The halves are about as obvious as it gets for the Sea Eagles, with the formerly much-maligned long-term Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks to wear the number six jumper, and Daly Cherry-Evans to line up at halfback.

It could well be Cherry-Evans final year before hanging up the boots, which could leave Seibold looking to experiment if he is injured at any point.

Brooks could well move across to the number seven jumper, but it's young gun and star of the future Joey Walsh who Manly will want to find some game time throughout the 2025 campaign.

Utility Dean Matterson could feature at five-eighth if need be as well, while Jake Arthur stands as a back-up across both positions.

Middle forwards
The Sea Eagles have an overload of talent in the middle third, and at least one NRL quality player - and maybe more - is going to have to miss out on the first-grade side on a week-to-week basis.

Taniela Paseka has well and truly established himself as the forward pack leader and will be the first picked at prop.

He should be joined up front by the experience of Josh Aloiai, while lock forward Jake Trbojevic will line up at lock forward for another year - a role he has held down for most of his career at Manly.

That leaves plenty in the way of back up though. Toafofoa Sipley, Siosiua Taukeiaho - who is back in the NRL for a second stint - and Ethan Bullemor are all in the mix.

Nathan Brown can play both lock and prop and will no doubt find some game time at some point this year, while Jazz Tevaga has come across from the Warriors and brings the ability to play through the middle or at hooker.

Hooker
Once a stop gap option at dummy half, Lachlan Croker is now a walk-up starter for Manly in the number nine jumper, and would hold down a hooking role at plenty of other clubs around the competition.

While he will be the first-choice again in 2025, the Sea Eagles have more depth at number nine than they have had previously following the mid-2024 signing of Jake Simpkin.

He stands as the first-choice back-up, but may not feature from the bench on a weekly basis.

Jazz Tevaga can play a bit of dummy half, and youngster Gordon Chan Kum Tong is also still in the Top 30 on the Northern Beaches.

Edge forwards
On the edge, Haumole Olakau'atu is the first picked. He has re-signed on a long-term deal with Manly worth big, big dollars.

The star edge forward is an Origin level player and Manly need him to be at his line-breaking, big-hitting, try-scoring best again in 2025 if they are to challenge.

He should be joined on the edge by the third Trbojevic, with Ben finding a home there in the second half of 2024. He has had his own injury issues, but is a star in the making and will be hoping for a clear run through 2025.

Corey Waddell will serve as the most likely first choice back up to the starting duo, while the likes of Dean Matterson and Ethan Bullemor can also play on the edge.

Interchange
The bench has plenty of candidates, and it will be intriguing to see exactly what balance Anthony Seibold goes with.

We expect Jazz Tevaga to beat Jake Simpkin for the number 14 role given his ability to play in the middle as well as at hooker, and also given the big minutes Lachlan Croker is likely to continue playing as the starting dummy half.

Toafofoa Sipley has been a permanent fixture of Manly's bench in recent years and should be there again in 2025, while new recruit Siosiua Taukeiaho will be tough to overlook for a spot.

The final spot comes down to Nathan Brown or Corey Waddell. If Manly want aggression, they will go with Brown, but we suspect they might want a second-row capable player, so Waddell wins the spot.

That leaves the likes of Brown, Ethan Bullemor, Aitasi James, Dean Matterson and Aaron Schoupp on the outside looking in as the next players likely to win a spot.