Written by JON GEDDES
Friday, 20 May 2011 18:01
THE Sea Eagles are close to re-signing their rising star Jamie Buhrer for a further three years in a major step to ensuring the future success of the club.The club is confident the deal with one of the hottest properties in the game will be finalised next week.
And the significance of securing the signature of the gun 21-year-old cannot be underestimated.
Such is the high regard in which Buhrer is held with his performances both on and off the field that he has been earmarked as a possible Sea Eagles captain down the track.
Coach Des Hasler has been in constant contact with Buhrers management over the past couple of weeks and made him a priority signing.
I am very confident Jamie will remain and continue with the Sea Eagles as a long-term player, Hasler said.
He has come through our junior reps and is part of an exciting group of players who will form the nucleus of the Sea Eagles for many years to come. Buhrer was captain of Manlys under-20 side and made his NRL debut last season.
The under-20 competion has proved a fertile breeding ground for Manly, with the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran, Will Hopoate and Michael Oldfield graduating to the Sea Eagles senior side over the past two years.
Buhrer, a Parramatta junior and schoolboy star, was another talent spotted by the eagle eye of Manlys recruitment guru Noel Cleal.
But he has always followed Manly and had a dream of playing for the Sea Eagles because his dad was a keen supporter of the club.
Ironically, he made his NRL debut against Parramatta in round 10 at Brookvale Oval last year.
He then spent a month on the bench without getting a game as part of his carefully planned introduction into the demands of playing NRL football.
Coach Hasler knew what he had, but was not going to be tempted into rushing him before he was ready.
He ended up making five NRL appearances last year and was one of the best players in a very much understrength Manly side belted by premiers St George Illawarra in a semi-final at Kogarah.
That performance reinforced to Manly that they had picked up a very special player. In a short time, Buhrer has proved one of the most versatile players in the NRL.
In the game against Souths a month ago, he scored two tries as a left centre. He has also played in the back-row and is capable of playing hooker
