The Manly Sea Eagles and Newcastle Knights have agreed to a player swap, with Jake Arthur and Paul Bryan switching clubs.

Arthur, a 22-year-old half, has been at the Sea Eagles since mid-2023, but will now make the move north, while Bryan, a young forward is heading to Manly in return.

Reports on Monday morning suggested the Sea Eagles wanted to sign Jack Hetherington instead, but he has been blocked from leaving and will see out the season in the Hunter despite reports suggesting he will not have his deal renewed by the club.

Bryan will miss the remainder of the year injured.

It was reported over the weekend that Arthur was in talks about a move up the freeway to the Hunter for the remainder of the 2025 season after struggling to win any game time at the Sea Eagles.

Mixed messaging on Monday appeared to have shown the deal as one likely to fall over, but he will now head to the Knights.

The move adds to the Knights' halves questions, although with injury issues and coach Adam O'Brien's lack of desire to play Jackson Hastings, he will be in the running for a spot.

O'Brien, who is under enormous pressure at the misfiring club with the worst attack in the NRL could well be replaced by the end of the year, and Brad Arthur - Jake's father who is currently coaching the Leeds Rhinos in the English Super League after being axed by the Parramatta Eels last year - is a name continually linked with any vacant NRL coaching jobs.

Jake's brother Matt is also at the Knights after leaving the Parramatta Eels.

Hetherington's move back the other way being blocked will raise eyebrows given he has struggled with injury and is off-contract at the end of the year. He is on the lookout for a new home, and it's understood he was close to finding one at the Sea Eagles where coach Anthony Seibold is also feeling the heat and beginning to look for answers.

He has already made the enormous call to shuffle Tom Trbojevic to the centres in a clear sign of pressure being ramped up.

The signing of Hetherington would have done little to ease it, but would have added to the depth of a forward pack with significant questions surrounding it.

It's understood the Knights have blocked any idea of a move south for the forward who can play both in the middle and on the edge though.

Hetherington made the shift from the Canterbury Bulldogs to the Knights ahead of 2023 and has played 52 games for the embattled club.