Home Ground: 4 Pines Park, Brookvale

Coach: Anthony Seibold

Manly Sea Eagles' 2025 NRL season was a rollercoaster: high hopes after 2024's finals appearance turned into inconsistency, leading to missing the top eight despite beating some top teams like Storm, Panthers, and minor premiers Canberra and finishing strong with three wins, saving coach Anthony Seibold's job but leaving questions for 2026 with new recruit Jamal Fogarty steering. Key players like Tom Trbojevic battled injuries, while Tolu Koula shone, and the club faced internal issues, including the fallout from Daly Cherry-Evans departure announcement. They never won more than three straight games, struggling with form and just appearing inconsistent all year long.

A seven-player leadership group is driving the standards at Manly Warringah Sea Eagles as the team continues to prepare for the 2026 NRL season. Head Coach Anthony Seibold has added a wealth of experience to the leadership team after recently appointing Tom Trbojevic as Captain. Joining Tom in the team of mentors will be older brother Jake Trbojevic and edge-forward Haumole Olakau’atu, who both retain their vice-captaincy roles.

Now, with Cherry-Evans officially gone to the Sydney Roosters and former prop Jason King appointed CEO, the Sea Eagles enter a new era. There is still plenty of talent in the side, but the team's best players need to start delivering again. Tom Trbojevic's fitness and confidence remain central to Manly's hopes, yet even at his best he can't do it alone. Several senior players must step up if the Sea Eagles are to return to finals contention in 2026. He’s far from the most talented star in the Sea Eagles squad, but Fogarty could be the most important as Manly begins the post-DCE era. Needs to be the glue that binds everything together - or it could all fall apart.

Luke Brooks burst onto the NRL scene at Wests Tigers and was once considered one of the club's “big three” alongside James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses. He was touted as the next Andrew Johns when he made his debut and was the only one of the trio to stay loyal to the Tigers. Since joining Manly, Brooks has shown flashes of his immense ability but remains inconsistent. Brooks needs to find his confidence once again. Too often, he drifts in and out of games. He has all the skills but must take greater control of Manly's attack. Fogarty will provide structure, but Brooks needs to trust his instincts, use his running game and execute his attacking kicks

The Sea Eagles can rediscover the attacking spark they've lacked in recent years and become genuine finals contenders, but they still look like they are lacking in several key areas. Any weaknesses will be exposed by much stronger outfits, as defensively we saw how frail they can be at times despite possessing the attacking flair that can keep them in a contest. Potentially another rough season for Seibold and the boys from the northern beaches, but they will no doubt have some highlights.

PREDICTED SEASON FINISH - 12TH