Kieran Foran believes that the upcoming challenges in Manly's halves positions can be viewed as a "great problem," as this transition seems set to shape the team's future.
In their crucial match against St George Illawarra on Friday night, Manly might look towards the future by giving Onitoni Large a chance to debut from the bench.
Large and talented youngster Joey Walsh are seen as potential long-term assets. Walsh already played nine games this season before sustaining a jaw fracture. However, transitioning these players will not be straightforward.
Luke Brooks, at 31 years old, is under contract until the conclusion of next year and had been performing admirably until an ACL injury led to Manly's downturn. Meanwhile, halfback Jamal Fogarty, 32, has a contract running until the end of 2028 after joining from Canberra on a three-year deal.
Walsh's contract was extended until 2029 last May, while Large's deal runs out in 2027, though other clubs cannot approach him until April.
"It's a great problem to have, with the amount of quality halves we have," Foran remarked.
"You've got Brooksy and Jamal who are super experienced at the back end of their careers. Then you've got Onitoni and Joey that are coming through. They are learning from those two really experienced halves who are able to guide teams around the paddock. It's great for their footy development. I'm not worried about it at all. It'll all work itself out ... Those guys will come back in full steam ahead, ready to fight for their spots."
In March, Manly owner Scott Penn emphasized that managing the club's strongest junior talent in 15 years was critical after Foran took over from Anthony Seibold.
Foran has gone through a similar transition before, replacing Jamie Lyon and Matt Orford alongside Daly Cherry-Evans during his earlier tenure.
On Thursday, Foran indicated that Large, currently wearing the No.18 jersey, might wait a bit longer before making his debut.
"At this stage he's sitting on that bench as genuine cover," Foran stated, noting the team's slim chances of making the finals.
"But we have full confidence if something goes wrong we can throw him out there and he'll do a really good job. We're starting to really get him close. He's been around the group as 20th man for the last month ... His training levels and training standards have been just where we want them."
Another option for Manly is Clayton Faulalo, who will continue his stint at No.6 after a stellar performance last week.
The 26-year-old previously impressed when filling in at fullback and could shift to centre next year following Reuben Garrick's departure.
"All options are open with Clayton," Foran noted.
"He's shown he can play a number of positions really well for us. There's no doubt in his mind that he'll want to lock down a permanent spot. We're certainly keen to see him do that."