Cooper Johns set for Manly exit, likely new club revealed
He is set to exit Manly.
Manly Sea Eagles half Cooper Johns will reportedly make a switch to the English Super League in 2024.
Johns made the move from the Melbourne Storm to the Manly Sea Eagles ahead of 2023 where he was the backup option to Josh Schuster and Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves.
It came after a disrupted pre-season where he was forced to spend much of it on a train and trial contract thanks to the NRL and Rugby League Players Association’s dispute over the collective bargaining agreement.
That ultimately stopped teams from confirming their 2023 Top 30s and salary caps, but Johns was eventually signed to a one-year deal and wound up playing a lot more rugby league than maybe what had first been indicated.
With Schuster’s form poor throughout most of the season to the point he will move back to the second-row on a fulltime basis in 2024, Johns made eight appearances and was solid for the men from the Northern Beaches.
But with the arrival of Luke Brooks and other youngsters in the system, Wide World of Sports’ The Mole is reporting that he will sign with Hull FC for 2024.
His arrival in England would see him take the spot of the departing Jake Clifford, who will return to the NRL next season.
Johns, who was a Manly junior before his move to Melbourne where he failed to lock down a permanent role in the halves, has played just 19 NRL games since his 2020 debut.
His time in Melbourne was predominantly spent behind Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes, with his departure there coming after Jonah Pezet leaped him in the queue.
The half would join Tony Smith’s squad at Hull and likely move straight into the starting 17, where he would join the likes of other ex-NRL players in Tex Hoy, Carlos Tuimavave, Ligi Sao and Chris Satae.
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