Are Manly Heading for Trouble in 2026? Turbo’s Captaincy & Garrick’s Exit

Joel Johnston

Editor

Last updated: Thu 04 Dec 2025 11:03

Joel Johnston 04 Dec 2025

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Tom Trbojevic's captaincy raises fitness and leadership concerns.
Reuben Garrick leaving for the Roosters affects squad consistency.
Roster and performance under coach Seibold show worrying trends.

Daly Cherry-Evans and Reuben Garrick have both signed contracts with the Sydney Roosters. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

Are Manly Heading for Trouble in 2026? Turbo’s Captaincy, Garrick’s Exit and a Club at a Crossroads

The Manly Sea Eagles look like a club in real trouble heading into 2026. Joel and Trav from the League of Inches podcast recently broke down the outlook for the upcoming Sea Eagles' season.

Turbo as captain - great headline but a risky reality.

Tom Trbojevic is one of the most gifted players in the NRL when he’s fit. Making him captain for 2026, replacing Daly Cherry-Evans, is a bold move and a clear statement that he’s the face of the club.

But the concerns are obvious. His availability has always been questionable, Turbo has missed big chunks of multiple seasons. The best way to have presence as a captain is to actually be on the field.

There are also questions around his leadership style, he’s not a natural “rah-rah” leader in the Jake Trbojevic mould, and will now carry extra media and leadership load on top of fragile hamstrings.

The clubs has alternatives, look no further than brother Jake or Ethan Bullemor or even new half Jamal Fogarty could arguably be better week-to-week on-field leaders.

If Turbo stays healthy and thrives with the “C”, it looks inspired. If he misses 8-10 games again, Manly suddenly have a captain watching from the grandstand.

Garrick to the Roosters – another pillar gone

A lot of the recent coverage around Reuben Garrick has been about what he could bring to an expansion side or a club like the Roosters. We now have the answer.

Garrick has formally signed a three-year deal with the Roosters starting in 2027. He’ll arrive as a ready-made replacement for Mark Nawaqanitawase, who’s heading back to rugby, and possibly Daniel Tupou if he retires.

For Manly, that means:

One of their most durable, consistent backs is now on the clock
Their record-breaking goalkicker is leaving
Another senior voice walks out just as DCE finishes up

It’s not a death blow on its own, but added to the rest of the noise around the club, it’s worrying.

Seibold, roster balance and a sliding pack

There are big concerns about Anthony Seibold and there has been a solid shift in the perception of the once lauded coach.

Results haven’t matched the talent on paper, and the pack that once looked like a top-four unit has drifted towards bottom-four territory. Injuries and inconsistency haven’t helped, but the trend line is ugly:

Question marks around Jake’s future and ongoing head-knock concerns
Edge quality dropping compared to the elite packs
Depth in the middle becoming an issue over a long season

Fogarty’s arrival in the halves is a positive, he’ll manage a game and kick to corners but he’s going from one of the competition’s best forward packs in Canberra to a far more fragile one at Manly.

Early ladder read: from top four to bottom four?

Before 2025, plenty of people had Manly pencilled in as a top-four smoky. By the end of this off-season, it’s hard not to feel the opposite.

DCE gone. Garrick leaving soon. Turbo as captain under constant fitness scrutiny. A coach the fanbase isn’t fully sold on. A forward pack that no longer scares anyone.

If everything breaks right with Turbo staying fit, Fogarty clicking, a couple of young forwards popping then Manly can still be a finals factor.

But right now, and judging by the NRL Premiership Odds it feels more likely we’re talking about them as a bottom-four danger than a premiership threat. And that’s exactly the red flag the pod was waving.