Cooper Johns set for Manly exit, likely new club revealed

He is set to exit Manly.

Cooper Johns, halfback for the Manly Sea Eagles, is expected to join the English Super League in 2024.

Johns moved from the Melbourne Storm to the Manly Sea Eagles before of the 2023 season, where he was the backup option in the halves to Josh Schuster and Daly Cherry-Evans.

It came after a tumultuous pre-season in which he was forced to spend much of it on a train and trial contract due to a dispute between the NRL and the Rugby League Players Association over the collective bargaining agreement.

This ultimately prevented teams from confirming their 2023 Top 30s and salary caps, but Johns was eventually signed to a one-year agreement and ended up playing a lot more rugby league than was initially stated.

With Schuster’s form deteriorating over the season to the point that he will return to the second row full-time in 2024, Johns made eight appearances and was solid for the lads from the Northern Beaches.

However, with the emergence of Luke Brooks and other young players in the system, Wide World of Sports’ The Mole is predicting that he will sign a 2024 contract with Hull FC.

When he arrives in England, he will replace the leaving Jake Clifford, who will return to the NRL next season.

Johns, a Manly junior before moving to Melbourne and failing to secure a permanent berth in the halves, has played just 19 NRL games since his debut in 2020.

His time in Melbourne was mostly spent behind Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes, and he left after Jonah Pezet leapfrogged him in the queue.

The half would join Tony Smith’s team at Hull and would most certainly be thrust into the starting lineup with ex-NRL stars Tex Hoy, Carlos Tuimavave, Ligi Sao, and Chris Satae.