It has now been conformed that Sydney Roosters centre Joey Manu will leave the NRL at seasons end, having signed a deal to play rugby union for a Japanese club called Toyota Verblitz.
Manu, the best player at the Sydney Roosters, probably would have stayed at the club handed him the fullback role and paid him accordingly. However, the club has stuck with James Tedesco and as a result has lost Manu, and its a big loss too.
Manu has been brilliant for the Roosters in the centre, and every time he plays at fullback for the club he is the best player on the field.
The Roosters have made a big song and dance about one day signing Manu again, but we will wait and see on that one.
For Manu, this is a move driven purely on how much he will earn. The standard of Japanese rugby union is very poor. We have seen players make the move in the past in a cash grab. It is pretty much cashing in on your athletic ability to bolster the bank account but achieve nothing of real value on the sporting field, and thats fair enough, these guys are professional sportsmen.
