Manly Sea Eagles are considering a potential move to sign NSW representative Connor Watson if he becomes a free agent in the future. This comes as Leeds, currently leading the Super League, received strong support from Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses, who believes coach Brad Arthur would be an ideal fit for the Sea Eagles.
The interim coaching period under Kieran Foran has started positively with a dominant 52-18 victory over the Dolphins on Thursday night. This win strengthens Foran’s case for a permanent role, although other candidates such as Brad Arthur, Matt Ballin, and Michael Ennis are also being considered.
Despite this, Manly is looking ahead to 2027 and has identified Watson as a player of interest. According to sources not authorized to speak publicly, Watson is under close watch by the Sea Eagles, Bears, and PNG. It is noted that the Roosters have no intention of releasing Watson before his contract ends next year, and Watson’s management has not sought early options. However, the club is unlikely to oppose any long-term deals he might secure elsewhere.
The Sea Eagles see Watson as a potential lock or hooker, especially since the club is yet to settle on these positions beyond this season. The uncertainty surrounding Jake Trbojevic’s future due to his history of concussions and recent performance declines adds to the need for depth in these roles.
Watson delivered one of his best performances in years against the Dolphins, playing 63 minutes, making eight runs for 81 metres, and recording 31 tackles. Other standout performances included Haumole Olakau’atu (24 runs, 272 metres) and Taniela Paseka (17 runs, 201 metres). However, Trbojevic’s future remains a sensitive topic given his status on the northern beaches.
Foran can strengthen his position for the permanent role by maintaining momentum through a series of manageable games against the Dragons, Cowboys, and Eels in the coming month.
Brad Arthur, the current Leeds coach, is considered the strongest contender for the Sea Eagles’ coaching position. With a record of 264 NRL games, including a grand final appearance in 2022 at Parramatta, Arthur has led Leeds to the top of the Super League, a position they haven’t held this deep into a season since 2020.
Arthur previously coached Manly as an assistant, and Eels halfback Mitchell Moses believes he would be a perfect fit for the club long term.
“He’d be unreal,” Moses said. “I’ve had him first-hand here and seeing what he can do for a team, and especially a team not going so well. The brand of footy that he tries to play and implement and training wise, everything like that, he’d be perfect for them. He’d be able to get the best out of everyone in all the little aspects of the footy. It’s not so much their attack – they can score points whenever they want – it’s all the little things around that. However that’s coached, I think he’d be perfect for that brand of footy.”
Arthur took over during a challenging time at Parramatta, which included a salary-cap scandal. Moses highlighted how Arthur helped him both professionally and personally during the club’s revival.
“He helped my game out massively,” Moses said. “I feel like I was a kid coming here and I’d just do whatever, not worry about the consequences and things like that. He taught me how to really control myself in certain situations, game wise, things like that. Just being under him for so long, our relationship grew to be very good. He’s really good around the team and he’s a bit more than a coach. He’s really good.”
