Taukei’aho confident Sea Eagles can win NRL 2025 Premiership

Siua Taukei’aho believes the Manly Sea Eagles have the right personnel to win the 2025 NRL Premiership.

The veteran prop joins Manly after spending a season overseas with the Catalan Dragons in 2023, before which he played 167 games for the Sydney Roosters.

Taukei’aho won two premierships during his time with Easts, and the 32-year-old says he sees a similar level of quality in the Sea Eagles squad.

“When I spoke to ‘Seibs’ (Anthony Seibold) about coming here, it was about the quality players that Manly have in the Trbojevic brothers, Daly Cherry-Evans, and Luke Brooks, to name a few,” he said.

“I wanted to be a part of that, and feel like we can do something special next year.”

The Sea Eagles finished seventh on the NRL ladder in 2024 and went on to upset the Canterbury Bulldogs in the opening week of the finals before falling to the Roosters 40-16 in the semis.

Most NRL betting sites have them around $15 to win the premiership next year and claim their first title since 2011.

Taukei’aho is particularly confident in Manly’s forward pack, of which he will be a key member alongside Tongan international Haumole Olakau’atu.

“You look at the strong forward pack here and someone like Haumole Olakau’atu,” Taukei’aho continued.

“The thing I like about Haumole is that he is a real, humble, nice giant.

“But when you play alongside him, he is one of those players you want next to you because of his sheer physical strength.

“I don’t know what it is, but he just ends up giving it to blokes.

“I was one of them at the Roosters. I have found his shoulders a few times.

“I’m now lucky enough to stand next to him.

“You can see the growth in him as a person and as a player.

“He played Origin for New South Wales this year and is now one of the key players for Tonga, like he is here at Manly.

“I feel he will be a standout here over the next couple of years.”

The Sea Eagles begin their 2025 NRL campaign against the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday, March 8, where they are $1.50 favourites to win at Marantelli Bet.

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