The Manly Sea Eagles' retention drive is still ongoing, and the northern beaches club has confirmed the successful contract extension of their 2022 Player of the Year, dummy-half Lachlan Croker.
Croker, who has played 82 games for the club, was free to talk to other clubs come November 1, but following a strong run of personal-best form in 2022, the Sea Eagles saw fit to extend his stay by another year, keeping him in Manly until the end of 2024.
It's a just reward for Croker, who has had to overcome significant adversity on multiple occasions throughout his career, having undergone three knee constructions in recent seasons, also suffering a number of hamstring injuries.
Originally brought into the Manly side as a utility option who could play in the halves, Croker hadn't started as a dummy-half in his career until Round 1 of the 2021 season following the suspension of Manase Fainu.
He has since excelled in the role, making it his own. Though the club had also signed former NRL hooker Nathaniel Roache ahead of the pre-season, Croker is unlikely to find himself under too much pressure should he maintain his current standards.
A return to the halves also seems unlikely despite the departure of Kieran Foran, with Josh Schuster widely speculated as the new halves partner for Daly Cherry-Evans. The club is also reported to be chasing Cooper Johns after a number of strong showings for Melbourne to close out his 2022 season after he was forced to withdraw from Italy's World Cup squad.
โLachlan is a very popular clubman who just loves pulling on the Manly jersey,'' said Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov.
โHe has established himself as our starting hooker. Lachlan gives his all each and every week.
"We are very happy to extend Lachlan out for a further season.โ
