There has been a new entry into the race for the Manly Sea Eagles head coaching gig, with Parramatta Eels legend Nathan Cayless putting his hand up to steer the ship at Brookvale.

Boasting coaching stints at the Sydney Roosters and the Wests Tigers, Cayless has been the mainstay head coach for the Eels NSW Cup side for the past four seasons, focusing on elite pathways systems at the club for Jason Ryles. 

The Sea Eagles are looking for a new head coach after sacking Anthony Seibold three games into the year because of their poor start to their campaign. 

In the meantime, Kieran Foran has taken over the helm; however, his inexperience in head coaching makes him an unlikely candidate for the long-term position.

When speaking on 100% Footy, Paul Gallen made the revelation that Cayless is in the mix to take over the Northern Beaches club. 

The long-term Eels skipper played 259 NRL games for the blue and gold while also captaining the New Zealand Kiwis to a World Cup victory, and is looking to extend his fantastic stat sheet with a head coaching gig.

“He wants to go for it, he's going to put his hand up for it. He's been an assistant coach at Parramatta for a few years and done a fair bit with the Kiwis,” Gallen said on the show.

Meanwhile, Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater was glowing in praise of two-time premiership winner Matt Ballin to step into the role.

Ballin served as an assistant coach to Slater in the Maroons Origin staff, while also working closely with Michael Maguire in the Broncos' premiership win last year, which saw them snap a 19-year drought. 

“He's been at a number of different NRL teams, he's seen different ways to coach and different ways to manage a group of men,” Slater said about Ballin on 100% Footy.

“And the State of Origin team, for that matter, you're working with the best players.

”And you get a great understanding about bringing guys together in a short period of time.

"The thing about Matt Ballin is he's got a great passion for the game and a great want to be an NRL head coach. So I think he will certainly be in the mix.”

Cayless also played a role as an assistant to the New Zealand Kiwis during their 2024 and 2025 Pacific Championship tournaments. 

In 2024, Cayless was inducted into the New Zealand Rugby League Legends of League title for his illustrious playing career, along with his ongoing coaching commitments after retirement from the NRL.