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Manly are likely to make a play for NSW representative Connor Watson should he become a free agent, as Super League table-topping Leeds coach Brad Arthur received a glowing endorsement from Parramatta star Mitchell Moses to take over at the Sea Eagles.
Life under interim coach Kieran Foran got off to a flying start when his Sea Eagles trounced the Dolphins 52-18 on Thursday night. The result will strengthen Foran’s case to retain the job permanently, although other options include Arthur, Matt Ballin and Michael Ennis.
Regardless, Manly are looking to bolster their roster for 2027 and have identified Watson as a player of interest. Sources not authorised to speak publicly because Watson is contracted to the Roosters until the end of next year said the supersub’s situation is being monitored by the Sea Eagles, Bears and PNG.
There is no suggestion the Roosters are looking to push Watson out before his contract expires, nor has Watson’s management asked to explore his options early. However, the Bondi Junction outfit is unlikely to stand in his way should he be able to secure a long-term deal elsewhere.
The Sea Eagles view Watson as a potential lock and/or hooker at a time when the club is yet to settle on those positions beyond this year. The future of Jake Trbojevic is clouded, given his history of concussions and diminishing returns in recent times.
The former NSW captain answered his critics with one of his best performances in years against the Dolphins: he played 63 minutes, made eight runs for 81 metres and 31 tackles. It was one of several strong contributions from the Manly pack, particularly Haumole Olakau’atu (24 runs, 272 metres) and Taniela Paseka (17 runs, 201 metres). However, Trbojevic’s future beyond this season remains a delicate topic given his status on the northern beaches.
Foran can press his claims to keep the job with a run of winnable games against the Dragons, Cowboys and Eels in the next month.
The challenger with the best credentials is Arthur, who has overseen a record 264 NRL games, including a grand final appearance in 2022 at Parramatta. After missing out on the Perth and PNG jobs, Arthur has taken Leeds to the top of the Super League ladder, a position they haven’t enjoyed this deep into a season since 2020.
Arthur has previously coached Manly as an assistant and Eels halfback Moses feels he would be the perfect fit for the club long term.
“He’d be unreal,” Moses said. “I’ve had him first-hand here and seeing what he can do for a team, and especially a team not going so well.
“The brand of footy that he tries to play and implement and training wise, everything like that, he’d be perfect for them. He’d be able to get the best out of everyone in all the little aspects of the footy.
“It’s not so much their attack – they can score points whenever they want – it’s all the little things around that. However that’s coached, I think he’d be perfect for that brand of footy.”
Arthur took over during a tumultuous period at Parramatta, which included the salary-cap scandal. Moses said Arthur had helped him professionally and personally during the club’s revival.
“He helped my game out massively,” Moses said. “I feel like I was a kid coming here and I’d just do whatever, not worry about the consequences and things like that.
“He taught me how to really control myself in certain situations, game wise, things like that.
“Just being under him for so long, our relationship grew to be very good. He’s really good around the team and he’s a bit more than a coach. He’s really good.”
