LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
A surprising contender has reportedly emerged for the starting dummy-half position at the Manly Sea Eagles after the departures of Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Jazz Tevaga, and the medical retirement of Lachlan Croker.
As noted by Wide World of Sports, 19-year-old hooker Zaidas Muagututia is being considered as a possible candidate for the No.9 jersey ahead of the 2026 NRL season.
Currently, Jake Simpkin is the leading candidate for the starting role following a strong performance in 2025. Additionally, recruit Zach Dockar-Clay, who joined from the Sydney Roosters, is another option for the position.
Muagututia has been promoted to the club's Top 30 roster after spending the previous season on the development list. He has been regarded as the team's long-term solution at dummy-half and has performed impressively in the NSW Cup since his arrival from the Canterbury Bulldogs.
In his 19 appearances in reserve-grade, Muagututia scored four tries, forced one drop-out, and delivered three try assists along with four line-break assists, accumulating a total of 325 tackles and averaging 29 running metres per match.
"Zaidas is a very talented kid and really impressed us in his first season with the club this year," a Sea Eagles insider shared with Wide World of Sports.
"He is smart out of dummy-half, reads the play well and has speed. He has a way to go, but he is definitely a player with potential."