The Manly Sea Eagles have made an official decision on Josh Schuster's future.
The club confirmed on Wednesday that they have released him from the final three years of his contract - he was originally signed until the end of the 2027 season.
The official decision by the club comes after he had been granted permission to speak with rival clubs in recent weeks, and would be granted an immediate release from his current contract if he can find a new team.
โUnfortunately, things haven't worked out for both parties in the end,'' said Manly CEO Tony Mestrov in a statement.
โJosh now needs time to focus on himself and what is best for him moving forward.
โWe all know Josh is a very talented player and we hope that he can find a new club soon. We wish him well.โ
Reports have ranged from Schuster having zero outside interest around the remaining clubs in the NRL, to a few clubs showing interest.
Schuster's exit from Manly means the club will have no contribution towards his next salary or contract, with Schuster only likely to be able to sign a deal worth well under the $800,000 per year he was believed to be on during his rich, long-term deal on the Northern Beaches.
Schuster has played exactly 50 matches since his debut in 2020, with 2021 seeing the second-rower and five-eighth have a break out year.
He went backwards during 2022, before an ill-fated move from the forwards to the number six jersey saw an average 2023 season.
Despite that, Manly re-signed him, with the club hoping he'd be able to turn things around back in the second-row, but he hasn't made it onto an NRL field in 2024, initially being hampered during the pre-season by a bout of chicken pox, and then a finger injury requiring surgery.
Schuster, a Sea Eagles junior, once captained the New South Wales under-18 team.
