The St George Illawarra fullback jumper and $1.2 million a year are Joey Manu’s for at least four years, if he takes up Shane Flanagan’s huge offer to join the Dragons over re-signing with the Sydney Roosters heading into 2025.
Manu, 27, hit free agency on Wednesday and Flanagan immediately fired into gear with an audacious and high-priced plan to make him the glittering centrepiece of the Red V revival.
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The Dragons are prepared to pay as much as $1.2 million a season from 2025 to 2029 to get their man, The Sporting Base has heard, with incoming coach Flanagan admitting it would be “enormous” if the Roosters gamebreaker was plugged into the young roster he is already moulding to return to the top of rugby league.
“From what I see when he plays fullback, his involvement is enormous. I think he could make a real fist of it,” Flanagan told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Manu has always voiced his eagerness to play fullback in the NRL but has regularly been stuck behind New South Wales and Australia number one James Tedesco at the tricolours. Flanagan thinks handing him the fullback jersey may be enough to turn his head.
“I’d love to have him, but I just don’t know if he’s going to move. In the end, it’s not us, it’s not the Roosters, it’s just what Joey wants to do. I know he loves the Roosters, I know Nick [Roosters chairman Nick Politis] loves him,” he said.
“Does he want to leave and have a crack at fullback? He won’t get to play too much there.”
If the Dragons do end up tabling $5 million it would be tough for Manu to ignore too; the Roosters are very keen to re-sign him but only have around $800,000 free in the cap. The Warriors may also make a bid, but it will be less than a million a season.
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This year, Tyrell Sloan is the first cab off the rank at the Dragons fullback jersey, though Zac Lomax is waiting in the wings. Cody Ramsey will be another option for Flanagan if he manages to return from the illness that ruled him out this year. Lomax also shapes as one replacement for Junior Amone in the five-eighth position.
Sloan would more than likely move to the wing if Manu did end up signing.
