The Manly Sea Eagles are reportedly in the midst of signing a versatile back to a new deal keeping him at the club for 2024 as his contract nears its expiry date.
Playing only three games last season, multiple injuries have seen youngster Kaeo Weekes transition from an interchange bench player to a starting five-eighth and fullback in just nine appearances throughout the current season.
His versatility in the backline has caught the attention of Manly, who, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, is poised to sign Weekes on a one-year contract extension which will see him remain as a backup player in 2024. Weekes is currently off-contract at the end of the season.
A former sprint champion in athletics, Weekes has been with the Sea Eagles since the age of 14, becoming one of the more successful players to come through their Pathways Academy. His junior career journey included playing in the Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg competitions before being selected into the club's development squad in 2021.
Since then, he has continued to learn off the likes of NSW Blues star Tom Trbojevic and Reuben Garrick whilst playing in the NSW Cup. His young age and promising potential mean he is likely to be a future starting fullback and will likely garner more attention at the end of his next contract.
“This year has been really good for me, I've been picking (Trbojevic's) brain a lot more and doing video with him, which is good because he's one of the best players in the world,” Weekes said at the start of the year via Code Sports.
“It's great to see what he would have done and what I would have done. It's just good to see his outlook on the game, and I'm learning a few things I want to put into my game.
“The biggest thing is probably just not waiting for the ball, to go searching for it yourself and not waiting for someone else to make things happen.
“That's one of his greatest attributes. You see how often he pops up and how often he's around the ball. I want to have the ball in my hands as much as I can and help the team as much as I can.”