His current on-field form might have some scratching their heads but the Manly Sea Eagles have handed utility Josh Schuster a new long-term deal.
The deal will run until the end of the 2027 season as the 22-year old looks to build in the 43 NRL games he has played since debuting in 2020.
The Sea Eagles and coach Anthony Seibold believe that Schuster’s best footy is yet to come and they look to extract the raw ability he possesses.
“Josh has shown his commitment to playing his best football in a Sea Eagles jersey by signing long term for our club on less financial terms than he could of got elsewhere and for less than his current contract,’’ Seibold said.
“I think this shows his commitment to his team-mates and club.
“His best football is in front of him and we look forward to developing Josh into a consistent, high performing NRL player.”
Schuster says he is staying at Manly on less than other clubs offered him as he buys into the system Seibold is trying to introduce.
“I know there will always be media speculation about what players are paid but the fact is I am staying here for less than I was offered elsewhere and less than my current deal which was due to expire in 2024,” Schuster said.
“The reason is that I want to be a part of a successful Manly team going forward, and I have bought into what ‘Seibs’ is trying to do at the Club now and beyond.
“I think he is being inventive, and he has an obvious plan to forge a team that goes beyond just numbers on players’ backs.”
In addition to that, Schuster is pleased that he will continue to have the chance to learn from the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans moving forward.
“There is a good opportunity for me to keep learning off great role models like Daly Cherry-Evans, and Jake and Tom Trbojevic,” Schuster added.