The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles have offered an enticing $5.6 million deal to powerhouse forward Haumole Olakau’atu. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the player had already accepted the extension. The contract upgrade will keep him at the club until the end of 2030.
Only Two NRL Players Have Longer Deals
The Sea Eagles have been talking to Olakau’atu and his agents for several months trying to negotiate an extension. The new and improved contract will earn Olakau’atu about $800,000 a year.
The deal is one of the longest active contracts in the NRL at the moment. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, the Gold Coast Titans’ captain, has a contract that could run until 2033. Similarly, Parramatta’s five-eight Dylan Brown is tied to the Eels until 2031, but the deal could end after only three years if clauses aren’t met. They are the only two NRL players who have longer deals than Olakau’atu.
Manly are Competing with Canterbury for Alex Twal’s Signature
The eye-watering extension is not the only deal the Sea Eagles are looking to broker, though. According to reports, they are also interested in West Tigers’ prop and lock Alex Twal and have been suggesting a player swap deal that would include Manly’s Sean Keppie.
Those rumors seemed to have been confirmed by Canterbury owner Phil Gould seemed to confirm who was responding to reports that his club was interested in Twal too.
While talking on the Six Tackles with Gus podcast, Gould said that, ultimately, it will be up to the player to decide what was right for him.
Jake Arthur Re-Signed with the Sea Eagles Too
The Sea Eagles recently announced that playmaker Jake Arthur has re-signed for the club. The playmaker, who has played six games for the Sea Eagles, is the son of Eels coach Brad Arthur. He will stay with Manly, the club he joined in May, until December 2025.
Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said he was delighted with Arthur’s “work ethic and attitude.” The coach praised the player for showing “the Manly mentality every day he comes into the building.”
Seibold added that Arthur provided depth and competition for the position he played in and that his versatility and ability to play “as a ball-playing utility” would help the team too.
