Manly young gun Lehi Hopoate has locked in his place in the Sea Eagles' backline for the upcoming NRL season, with head coach Anthony Seibold confirming that the club is also close to securing him on a contract extension.

Heading into Round 1, Manly's back five has been one of the most hotly contested positions in pre-season, with multiple players vying for spots ahead of their season opener against the North Queensland Cowboys. Hopoate, who burst onto the scene last season, has now cemented his position in the squad, with Seibold backing the 19-year-old to start the season on the wing regardless of team availability.

Hopoate made his NRL debut last May as a relatively unknown teenager and quickly became a mainstay in the Sea Eagles' lineup, playing 14 consecutive games. In that time, he scored nine tries and assisted in seven others, proving to be a valuable asset in attack. His opportunities largely came due to injuries within the squad, allowing him to gain consistent first-grade experience.

Now, as the team approaches the 2024 season with a healthier roster, Seibold is confident Hopoate has earned his place in the starting lineup.

Manly's Backline Dilemma

With Jason Saab, one of the NRL’s most explosive wingers, recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined him in August and Tommy Talau also dealing with ankle concerns, there has been plenty of uncertainty around Manly’s backline selections.

Seibold has now clarified the structure of his back five, stating:

"Turbo (Tom Trbojevic) will be our fullback, Reuben (Garrick) and Tolu (Koula) will be our centres, and then we’ll make a decision on our wingers," Seibold said.

"I feel like Lehi Hopoate has done enough to be in our back five because he’s had a good pre-season. We’ll see out of Saaby, Tommy Talau and Clayton Faulalo who wins that last spot."

This means that Hopoate has officially claimed one of the wing spots, while the battle for the remaining position continues.

Hopoate’s Future with Manly

The Sea Eagles are also on the verge of securing Hopoate's future at the club. Currently, he remains on Manly’s development list for 2024, but a new deal is expected to accelerate his promotion into the club’s top-30 roster, extending his stay beyond next season.

"Lehi is really keen to stay longer term, and we are keen to keep him longer term," Seibold confirmed.

"There will be some news in and around Lehi and his contract in the near future. He’s developed a whole heap. He always had potential."

Seibold revealed that Hopoate's rapid progression stemmed from his strong performances in pre-season.

"Watching him in 2023, I knew he had potential, so I gave him a six-week pre-season last year, and he performed really strongly, so we extended it to a full pre-season," he said.

"Handing a 19-year-old debut (against Melbourne), a lot of people probably thought we were crazy. But I thought Lehi handled that night really well and was one of the finds of the season in the entire competition."

Hopoate's Mindset and Preparation

Speaking earlier at the Sea Eagles’ season launch, Hopoate admitted that he hadn’t expected to secure a starting spot but was eager to prove himself in 2024.

"I’m really excited to go after this year. I would say I am hungry, but it is a bit nerve-wracking as well," he said.

"Physically, I am probably the same; I have only gained a kilo or two. But mentally, I feel like my mental state of things is very sharp at the moment."

He also credited Manly’s mental skills coach for helping him develop resilience.

"We have a mental skills coach, and he is helping me heaps with how to handle chaos and pressure."

Taukeiaho Set for Round 1 Return

In addition to Hopoate's confirmation in the lineup, Seibold also revealed that Siosiua Taukeiaho will make his first NRL appearance since 2021 in Round 1.

Taukeiaho, who spent the 2023 season in the Super League with the Catalans Dragons, has been named in the Sea Eagles' squad for their season opener, marking his return to the Australian competition.

With Manly finalizing their lineup for the start of the season and locking in key players for the future, the club appears to be shaping up well for a strong campaign in 2024.