Fogarty Steps into the Sea Eagles’ Number Seven: A New Era Begins
The familiar sight of maroon and white is a colour palette Jamal Fogarty knows well, having previously donned those hues during his successful stint with Burleigh in the Queensland Cup. However, for the passionate Manly Sea Eagles faithful, it will undoubtedly take some time to adjust to seeing a new face in the iconic number seven jersey, a position long synonymous with the club’s talisman, Daly Cherry-Evans.
Manly’s strategic acquisition of Fogarty last May, securing him on a three-year contract, coincided with Cherry-Evans’ surprising announcement that he would depart the club at the conclusion of the 2025 season. This pivotal shift has naturally ignited considerable discussion and raised pertinent questions about Fogarty’s capacity to fill the considerable shoes of the playmaker who has orchestrated Manly’s attack for the past 15 years.
Fogarty himself addressed these high expectations head-on during a press conference last December. “He’s probably the greatest half to play for the club and put that jersey on,” Fogarty acknowledged, speaking of Cherry-Evans. “That’s something I’ve got to respect and acknowledge, but also I’m not as talented as Daly, and I’m going to be Jamal. I’m not going to try and be him.” This candid admission underscores Fogarty’s commitment to forging his own identity within the team, rather than attempting to replicate the legendary status of his predecessor.
The spotlight on the veteran halves is set to intensify when the Sydney Roosters make their way to Brookvale Oval in round four. However, for the immediate future, Fogarty’s focus is firmly fixed on confronting his former club, the Canberra Raiders, in an eagerly anticipated Saturday night showdown. Fogarty played a crucial role in the Raiders’ minor premiership triumph last year, but his attention is now solely on leading his new charges to victory.
“It’s obviously great to get it out of the way round one,” Fogarty remarked, referring to the match against his old team. “I’ve said before, it’s good to get it out of the way because then I can crack on with my season. Obviously, everyone in the media is going to keep asking about it, and if it was round 15 or mid-season, then that would kind of be annoying. So it’s kind of good to get it out of the way. And with the banter side of things, I’m not someone that sends cheeky text messages or chirps up on the field. I kind of just stick to myself and go about it.”
Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold has observed that his new recruit brings a more structured approach to the halves compared to Cherry-Evans. Seibold expressed his satisfaction with Fogarty’s pre-season performances. “Any time you come up against your former side, there’s going to be media speculation around that,” Seibold commented. “Jamal did a hell of a job for the Raiders over the last four years, and I’m sure they’ve got great memories of his impact at the club and his leadership on and off the field because we’ve certainly seen it. We only gave him limited minutes in the trial, but he’s been working really hard at training to build cohesion. It’s probably a good thing for him to get it out of the road.”
Fogarty had his first taste of wearing the Manly number seven jersey in a trial match against the Rabbitohs in Mudgee last month. He found the experience beneficial in preparing him for the rigours of the upcoming season. “Obviously putting on maroon and white is different to lime green, but it was a good feeling putting it on,” he stated. “Running out felt very different, but good to get that out of the way in the trial. And I’ve just felt welcome the whole time since I’ve come here. I’m used to the maroon and white, my Queensland Cup team wore those colours so I’m kind of used to it, just not at an NRL level. I’m enjoying my time here so far, great bunch of dudes around the club that have been very welcoming. The coaching staff have been the same and all the admin people upstairs, so it’s been an enjoyable move so far.”
Building a Partnership: Fogarty and Brooks
The 32-year-old playmaker is aware that the emergence of Manly’s younger halves, Joey Walsh and Onitoni Large, will exert pressure on his position should his performance falter. However, Fogarty believes this won’t be a concern if he and his new five-eighth, Luke Brooks, can establish a strong connection from the outset.
Fogarty is content to adopt a controlling role in the halves, allowing Brooks the freedom to express his dynamic attacking game on the left edge. “We’ve had some great moments here at training and there’s always going to be areas that we need to work on and keep improving,” Fogarty explained. “But he’s someone that’s played over 250 NRL games, got a great running game, nice left foot kicking game, so the more that we can link up as much as possible and just keep bouncing off each other throughout the year, hopefully, we can win a couple of games along the way and have a good season.”
This understanding and willingness to complement each other’s strengths could be the key to unlocking Manly’s potential in the coming season. The transition of the number seven jersey represents more than just a change of personnel; it signals the beginning of a new chapter for the Sea Eagles, with Jamal Fogarty at its helm, ready to carve out his own legacy.
