Lol. What this article fails to mention is that most of those players would struggle to make our Wendy side (Fainu the exception). We stole Gutho from them so I’d say we’ve well and truly won that battle.
Ahead of sudden-death semi-final, desperate Manly call on four kids Parramatta didn’t want
They are the Manly Sea Eel-gles.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the three players Manly have rushed into first grade to overcome a horror injury toll were all pinched from the heart of Parramatta.
And three more Parramatta juniors will also run out for the Sea Eagles this Saturday night.It’s the great Western Sydney heist.
Replacement players Tevita Funa, 21, Haumole Olakau’atu, 20, and Sean Keppie, 20, were Eels juniors — along with regular centre Moses Suli — before Manly came knocking.
Seemingly unwanted, the three shifted from Sydney’s west to the northern beaches and will be called into action for the elimination final against Cronulla at Lottoland.
Another replacement, Tony Williams (Cabramatta), is also an Eels junior as is hooker Manase Fainu (Westmead).
Funa, Olakau’atu, Keppie, Suli and Williams were named to cover for injured stars Tom Trbojevic (pectoral), Curtis Sironen (foot), Joel Thompson (forearm), Taniela Paseka (knee) and suspended Marty Taupau.
Funa will make his NRL debut against Cronulla, as will Olakau’atu. Keppie has played just one game.
“Haumole, Tevita, Manase and Moses Suli all played for Fairfield United,” Manly recruiter Scott Fulton said. “I got them over as juniors in the under 15s Harold Matthews.
“Tevita came in 2016. He got dropped by Parramatta and we picked him up because we liked him. The same with Manase. He didn’t get picked for Harold Matthews at Parramatta.
“Haumole was also in that Fairfield side but he hadn’t played in any reps. Tevita’s dad rang me and said Haumole had been going to training at the end of 2016.
“Tevita’s dad asked whether Haumole could train with the boys and I said: ‘Sweet, no problem’. We gave him half a trial against St George and signed him for three years.
“I saw Keppie play in Parramatta’s juniors from under-16s onwards. He played Australian Schoolboys. We always had a fair wrap on him and Parramatta weren’t that keen on him so I jumped straight in and grabbed him.
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“I think he’s a really good player. In 2017, Keppie was playing for Parramatta against Manly in the under-20s grand final. I signed him after that. Keppie was from Narellan but played in the Parramatta juniors.”
Former Manly winger John Hopoate coached that Fairfield United side, with his son, Bonny, a team member.
Funa is a centre, Haumole an edge backrower and Keppie a front-rower. Despite their inexperience, leading players have backed the kids to shine.
“We’ve got great depth here and everyone is putting in at training,” Manly fullback Brendan Elliot said.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s..._content=SocialFlow&utm_source=DailyTelegraph
