Manly Sea Eagles playmaker Jake Arthur will remain at the club through to the end of the 2025 NRL season with his touted move to the Newcastle Knights falling apart, while a play for Jack Hetherington to go the other way has also been blocked..
It was reported over the weekend that he was in talks about a move up the freeway to the Hunter for the remainder of the 2025 season after struggling to win any game time at the Sea Eagles.
The move would have added to the Knights’ halves questions, although with injury issues and coach Adam O’Brien’s lack of desire to play Jackson Hastings, he would have been in the running for a spot.
O’Brien, who is under enormous pressure at the misfiring club with the worst attack in the NRL could well be replaced by the end of the year, and Brad Arthur – Jake’s father who is currently coaching the Leeds Rhinos in the English Super League after being axed by the Parramatta Eels last year – is a name continually linked with any vacant NRL coaching jobs.
Jake’s brother Matt is also at the Knights after leaving the Parramatta Eels.
But News Corp are reporting that Jake Arthur won’t be going anywhere until at least the end of this year, with the move falling apart.
That comes with news Jack Hetherington has also had a move to go back the other way blocked.
The Knights forward, who has struggled with injury and is off-contract at the end of the year, is on the lookout for a new home, and it’s understood he was close to finding one at the Sea Eagles where coach Anthony Seibold is also feeling the heat and beginning to look for answers.
He has already made the enormous call to shuffle Tom Trbojevic to the centres in a clear sign of pressure being ramped up.
The signing of Hetherington would have done little to ease it, but would have added to the depth of a forward pack with significant questions surrounding it.
It’s understood the Knights have blocked any idea of a move south for the forward who can play both in the middle and on the edge though.
Hetherington made the shift from the Canterbury Bulldogs to the Knights ahead of 2023 and has played 52 games for the embattled club.
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