For now, it's a pretty big blow. Our outside back stocks in the juniors are paper thin. Nav was great aerially, and as he fills out he will become a lot more powerful with the ball. Not super fast, but as fast as nearly all our current NRL backs.
Staines, Naden, Lobb and Toa are all bog average, Staines the pick of the three. All could easily be axed.
With Skelton joining that's one decent winger at the club next year. Ngutlik is only just coming back from injury, has potential.
The likes of Faatape and Casey offer nothing. Saukuru has potential but has been injured this year and is a centre more than winger.
Laulilii has talent but is just very small, questions on his defence and high ball skills, and ability to just compete in the nrl level.
The Taotua boys have been in and out of Flegg. No wingers of note in Ball or Matts.
The only possibilities that would make this make sense:
1. Makasini and Large are on Dev contracts next year so we needed to free up the spot, it's fair to rate both higher than Nav.
2. Manly are trading us someone quality like Hopoate or Koula in exchange
3. We've signed another young star winger from elsewhere who we rate better than Nav.
If none of the above conditions come true then this is a massive stuff up from the club yet again. We must always have too much talent that we can't fit in, cherry pick and can't keep them all, but if we offload first and then hope to secure better that's just amateur. We really should be getting a trade from Manly regardless, can't just give them another Paseka for free.
