Sea Eagles add three players and expand club international
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have reinforced their playing ranks for next season by adding three talented young players and extending the contract of a current club international.
The Sea Eagles have signed halfback Luke Brooks for four years, winger Jaxson Paulo for three, and centre Tommy Talau for two.
In addition, the Club has extended the contract of intriguing young Tongan international Tolu Koula for another three years, beginning at the end of the 2024 season.
Brooks, 28, is a seasoned and established halfback who has scored 43 tries since making his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers in 2013.
“Luke is a quality half-back, a former Dally M half-back of the year (2018), and brings over 200 games of experience to our club,” Manly Coach Anthony Seibold explained.
“He has a fantastic left-foot kicking game and is an excellent football runner.”
“We feel as though he will add to the spine players we have already got at our club.”
Paulo, 23, has 25 tries in 54 NRL games, including stints at South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters.
Paulo, a promising teenage winger with plenty of skill and speed, represented South Sydney in the 2021 Grand Final. He has also represented Samoa in Tests.
“Jaxson brings more over 50 games of NRL experience with him. “He’s been in really good systems at the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters,” Seibold said.
“His greatest year was 2021, when he competed in the NRL Grand Final. What I appreciated about him that year was his constancy in performance.
“He has started the year really strongly for the Roosters and we feel as though his best football is in front of him.”
Talau, 23, has scored 19 tries in 44 games for the Wests Tigers since making his NRL debut against Manly in 2019.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on Tommy for a few years now. He made his Tigers debut at the age of 18, but he has been handicapped by missing the entire 2022 season, according to Seibold.
“I believe he has been more aggressive this year. He is a powerful player who also demonstrates remarkable skill.
“What Jaxson and Tommy bring to us is competition for slots, which is important as we work to develop consistent team performance.
“We want competition for spots and they add to the quality that we have already got in our outside backs.”
Seibold believes Koula earned a contract extension after making a strong impact for Manly since his NRL debut last year.
“Tolu has been a real find for our club in the last 18 months,” Seibold said.
“He came through here as a junior, playing for the Harold Matthews and SG Ball clubs.
“Tolu has grown as a player this season, and we believe he has big potential.
“With Tolu now signed on for another couple of years, we are really looking forward to seeing him play his best football.”
Manly CEO Tony Mestrov said the club was thrilled to have signed Brooks, Paulo, and Talau, who would offer significant depth to the playing roster.
“Luke is a very fine player who will benefit from a fresh start and some much-needed stability at Manly,” Mestrov stated.
“We believe his game will only improve as he works alongside Daly Cherry-Evans and teammates Josh Schuster and Tom Trbojevic behind a very strong forward pack.”
“For a young man, Jaxson has already made a big impression, having played in an NRL Grand Final and a Test match.
“Tommy is a fast and skilled player who can cover both wings and centers.
“We believe all three players will only further improve their game under Anthony Seibold.”
