Aaron Schoupp has had a roller coaster career, having first been touted as the next gun centre at the Canterbury Bulldogs, to battling health and injuries at the Manly Sea Eagles.
Now preparing to come back from a gruesome ACL injury in 2026, Schoupp has said his “best is yet to come” as he looks to return to rugby league stardom.
“Leaving no stone unturned [is my goal moving forward],” Schoupp told Zero Tackle.
“I started off my career playing regular NRL and I want to get back to that.
“Being part of the Manly Sea Eagles, and playing the best I can — fit and healthy.”
He also said while he would like to remain with the Sea Eagles past next season, he isn't naive to how the NRL works, having experienced shock exits from both the Gold Coast Titans and the Bulldogs.
“I've been to three different clubs and I'm 25 this year, so I think for me, I'd love to stay and be a part of Manly moving forward, but a while ago I put a line out saying I wanted to be a Bulldog for life and that backfired on me pretty quick,” he shared.
“Going forward for me, it's about being a part of Manly, and if that's not there, then I'll put my best foot forward wherever I am.”
Schoupp was launched into NRL stardom at a fairly young age, and he admitted that while he was once privy to the bright lights, he's mature enough now to realise that you can fall from grace at any moment.
“The NRL's hard, everyday you've got to perform,” he said.
“Sometimes people can take it for granted, and I definitely got caught up in that a little bit [at the Bulldogs].
“It's hard because I was playing good footy there and everything was going really well for me, [but I have learned that] you're easily replaceable.”
He shared that it's important to “stay in the moment and give your best footy everyday because it can go away pretty quick.”
Schoupp's journey has brought him to arguably the most important season of his career, and he has promised Sea Eagles fans that his “best footy is ahead” of him, and he plans to showcase that in 2026.
