NRL star Joey Manu insists All Blacks ‘not the main focus’ in rugby switch
Joey Manu insists an All Blacks cap remains a distant goal, even if his impending switch to the 15-man game has experts excited about him following the trail blazed by Sonny Bill Williams.
Manu announced last week 2024 would be his last in the NRL with the Sydney Roosters before moving to Japan and joining Toyota Verblitz.
The 27-year-old has won 17 caps for the Kiwis but if all goes well in Japan it could be a springboard to him one day representing the All Blacks.
New Zealand Rugby has strictly pursued a policy of only calling up players plying their trade domestically and Manu would likely have to return to New Zealand if he wanted a shot at selection for the 2027 World Cup.
History is also stacked against the Roosters centre due to the fact, since rugby union became openly professional in 1995, only Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Williams have won caps for New Zealand in both codes.
Working in Manu’s favour, however, is the fact Steve Hansen, who helped guide Williams’ union career, is the director of rugby at Toyota Verblitz with Ian Foster installed as coach next year.
But, speaking for the first time since finalising his switch, Manu is keen to downplay his prospects of international honours, stressing the most important goal was learning a game he hadn’t played since his school days.
“If I’m playing good then yeah (I’d love an All Blacks jersey), but that’s not the main focus, I’ve got to learn the game,” Manu told AAP.
“I’m really happy that those two coaches are there along with Aaron Smith so I want to build off that.
“It was a personal decision and I obviously had to look for the best option.
“I felt that was what was best, talking to the coaches there, I just want to go over there and learn and develop as a rugby player.”
Manu has yet to begin learning Japanese and said he had agonised over leaving the club and the tutelage of Trent Robinson, who has been a constant in his NRL career.
“It was a tough decision, I had a lot of chats with ‘Robbo’ and how long I’ve been here … I came over here when I was 16, it’s a long while and it’s the only thing I’ve known,” Manu said.
“This place, the club, as well, I made the decision and I’m content with it and I’ve just got to enjoy every moment and make the most of my last year.”
Manu has two NRL premierships to his name but if the Roosters can snap their inconsistent performances he hopes to be able to add a third.
A 4-4 record perhaps belies the quality in Robinson’s star-studded side and Manu knows the Roosters have it within themselves to start upping the ante.
“We’re sort of up and down and we haven’t really proven too much,” Manu added. “We’ve got to find that consistency, that week to week is the challenge for us.
“We’ve got to stay with that and then hopefully we can start racking up a few games in a row.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Yeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to comments