He fought so hard to reignite his footballing career, after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2009 – with both the Cronulla Sharks and Parramatta Eels supporting him through the tough times and the good times.
Mannah has been playing for the Eels feeder side Wentworthville in the NSW Cup, with the plan to crack into the first-grade squad – though after his latest setback, the former Shark is recovering at home, after his cancer relapse.
”I wish the Mannah family well and hope Jon has a quick recovery,” Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo said. ”I’d love to see him play footy again soon.”
Although his brother Tim refused to talk about the condition of his brother after the side’s loss to Penrith, in a recent interview, Tim said: ”He was inspiring me when I was training every day, knowing what he was going through. He was always upbeat.”
Having played 24 games for the Sharks, Mannah played for the Eels at junior and NYC level.
When he made the decision to return to the Eels, Mannah admits that he had fears going through his head as to whether or not he would play again.
”Absolutely. In some of the early stages of the illness I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to come back to footy,” Jon said.