The Manly Sea Eagles and North Queensland Cowboys are reportedly set to agree to a surprise player swap ahead of the 2025 NRL season.
News Corp are reporting that winger Jaxson Paulo will head to Townsville, while talented young forward D'Jazirhae Pua'Avase will head in the other direction.
Paulo, an Auckland-born winger who can also play in the centres will join the fourth club of his career despite being just 25 years of age today.
Debuting for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2020, Paulo managed 43 games at the Maroubra-based outfit before shifting to the Sydney Roosters. He managed 12 games there in 2023, then signed a three-year deal at the Manly Sea Eagles.
It appeared he had finally found some stability, but the outside back struggled to be a consistent first-grade force and was limited to just eight games for the Northern Beaches based outfit.
His move to Townsville though could make sense, with the club losing veteran winger Kyle Feldt to the English Super League and Queensland Maroons representative centre Valentine Holmes to the St George Illawarra Dragons this off-season.
North Queensland are also yet to confirm how they will replace Chad Townsend at halfback as he joins the Sydney Roosters, but it appears Jake Clifford will carry a newfound partnership in the halves with Tom Dearden into the new season, rather than any requirement for Scott Drinkwater to shift away from fullback.
It shapes as a major refresh for Todd Payten's side, who will welcome back Zac Laybutt from an ACL injury and also hope Tom Chester continues to grow as a centre.
Payten was bullish last year about the prospects of Chester - who has played most of his rugby league at fullback and in the halves - becoming an elite centre before injury ruined the second half of his season.
Paulo's reported arrival in Townsville will create extra depth for the outfit who qualified for this year's finals, but were blasted out in Week 2 by the Cronulla Sharks.
The move also suits Manly.
Paulo was surplus to requirements amongst a number of talented outside backs at the club this year, with the emergence of Lehi Hopoate and Clayton Faulalo in the second half of the year creating yet more competition for spots alongside Tom Trbojevic, Reuben Garrick, Jason Saab, Tommy Talau and Tolutau Koula in the back five, while Aaron Schoupp and Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega are also at the club.
The argument that Manly were short in the forwards - particularly while Taniela Paseka spent a chunk of the year out injured - was an easy one to make though.
Pua'avase was contracted at the Cowboys until at least the end of 2025, having joined the Top 30 in Townsville this year.
Yet to make his first-grade debut, the Kirwan State High School graduate played his junior rugby league alongside Jeremiah Nanai, but hasn't developed at the same speed as other key edge forwards in Townsville.
Nonetheless, the 21-year-old made 17 appearances in the QLD Cup for the Mackay Cutters during 2024, averaging 75 metres per contest and tackling at almost 95 per cent while also crossing for a try.
His improving game could well have seen him in line for first-grade honours at the Cowboys next season given the exit of Kulikefu Finefeuiaki to the Dolphins, but he will instead take his chances at the Sea Eagles under Anthony Seibold's coaching.
The Sea Eagles have so far made no signings for 2025, but do lose Karl Lawton and Aaron Woods out of their forward depth, while Matt Lodge is also likely to depart. They have been linked with Jazz Tevaga from the New Zealand Warriors and Michael Chee-Kam from the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
