Garrick turns to open market after Sea Eagles offer him short extension

Reuben Garrick is now set to field offers from rival NRL clubs in free agency, after turning down Manly’s latest two-year offer in want of a longer deal that could possibly take him through to the end of his playing career.

Garrick, 28, has been locked in discussions with the Sea Eagles for some months regarding an extension beyond 2026, but those talks now seem to have fallen through after the two parties couldn’t come to terms.

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Manly had most recently offered Garrick a two-year, $1.1 million deal, The Sporting Base understands, which was fine coin-wise for Garrick. However, the versatile backline star, who has played wing, centre, and fullback for the Sea Eagles since debuting in 2019, wants more certainty about where he’s going to be playing in his 30s; if he took up this deal, he’d be a free agent for 2029.

To that end, Garrick is now exploring his options on the open market.

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There are already several clubs interested in Garrick’s signature, though none have formally approached him yet. One is expansion team the Perth Bears, who have quite publicly suggested they want to add Garrick as a foundational star and key kicker when they join in 2027. The St George Illawarra Dragons, where Garrick played his junior footy, is also in the mix.

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Garrick would also still happily field upgraded offers from Manly, with his player agent David Riolo telling 9News that “Reuben loves it at Manly” and would happily stay should they be able to reach an agreement that works best for both sides.

“Unless things change, he will test the market in November,” Riolo warned. “It’s not that far away.”