Joseph Manu (born 29 June 1996) is a New Zealand professional

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league. Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...

er who plays for

Toyota Verblitz Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Verblitz is a portmanteau of ''verde'' (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese for 'green') and ''blitz'' (German for 'lightning'). The team is owned by Toyota Motor Corporat ...

in the

Japan Rugby League One Japan Rugby League One (), formerly known as the Top League (), is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, b ...

. He previously played as a for the

Sydney Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...

in the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...

(NRL), with whom he won premierships in

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, and represented

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and the New Zealand Māori at international level. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest centres in the game.

Background

Manu was born in

Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton (, ) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato, Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's List of c ...

, and is of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

and Cook Island descent. He was raised in

Tokoroa Tokoroa is the fourth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua and 20 km south of Putāruru, close to the foot of th ...

. Manu played his junior rugby league for Tokoroa High School before being signed by the

Playing career

Early career

Having won the

S. G. Ball Cup The S. G. Ball Cup is a junior rugby league football competition played predominantly in New South Wales, between teams made up of male players aged under 19. Teams from Canberra and Melbourne, and Auckland also participate. Prior to the COVID ...

with the Roosters in 2014, Manu travelled to Glasgow to represent Australia in an under-19s

rugby league nines Rugby league nines (or simply nines) is a version of rugby league football played with nine players on each side. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some differences in rules and shorter games. Nines is usually played i ...

tournament at the

2014 Commonwealth Games The 2014 Commonwealth Games (), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014 (; ), were an international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Commonwealth Games as governed by the Commonwea ...

, where Australia finished in second place. Manu moved into the Roosters' NYC team by the end of the year, where he played until 2016, scoring 34 tries in 48 games. On 2 May 2015, Manu played for the

Junior Kiwis The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. Since 2010, they are an under-20s side, with players selected from the NRL, Intrust Sup ...

against the

Junior Kangaroos The Junior Kangaroos side represents Australia in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kangaroos, after the native marsupial of that name. Since 2019, they are an under-23 side, with players selected from the NRL. Th ...

, playing on the wing and scoring a try in the 22-20 loss at

Robina Stadium Robina Stadium, commercially known as Cbus Super Stadium, is a multi-purpose rectangular stadium in Robina, a suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland. It is the home ground to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans, this venue sometimes hos ...

. On 16 June 2015, Manu re-signed with the Roosters on a 2-year contract. On 14 September 2015, Manu was named on the wing in the 2015 NYC team of the year as he scored 22 tries in 24 matches for the year.

2016

In February 2016, Manu was selected in the Roosters

2016 NRL Auckland Nines The 2016 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Downer NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the third NRL Auckland Nines competition. It was held on 6–7 February 2016 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. As with previous tournaments, it wa ...

squad. In Round 15 of the

2016 NRL season The 2016 NRL season was the 109th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 19th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...

, Manu made his NRL debut for the

against the

New Zealand Warriors The Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Aucklan ...

, playing on the wing in the 12-10 loss at

Mt Smart Stadium Mount Smart Stadium, currently known as Go Media Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League a ...

. On 5 September 2016, Manu was named on the wing in the 2016 NYC Team of the Year. On 2 October 2016, Manu played on the wing in the Roosters 2016 Holden Cup Grand Final against the

Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, New South Wales, Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based west of the cen ...

, scoring 2 tries in the comeback 30-28 victory after being down 28-6 at halftime. On 11 October 2016, Manu extended his contract with the Roosters to the end of the 2018 season. Manu finished his debut season in the NRL playing in 3 matches for the Roosters in the

2017

In February 2017, Manu was selected in the Roosters

2017 NRL Auckland Nines The 2017 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Downer NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the fourth NRL Auckland Nines competition. It was held on 4–5 February 2017 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Just like previous tournaments, it ...

winning squad. In Round 7 against the

Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...

, Manu scored his first NRL career try in the Roosters 24-6 win at

Hunter Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, currently known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knight ...

. Manu finished the

2017 NRL season The 2017 NRL season was the 110th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 20th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...

with playing in 16 matches and scoring 5 tries. Manu was overlooked for the Roosters finals series and played for the

Wyong Roos The Wyong Rugby League Football Club are an Australian rugby league club based on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales. The club competed in the New South Wales Cup from 2013 to 2018 and still competes in the Cen ...

in which they made the 2017 NSW Cup against the

but lost 20-12 at

Leichhardt Oval Leichhardt Oval is a rugby league and soccer stadium in Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers National Rugby League (NRL) team, along with Campbelltown Stadium and Western Syd ...

2018

On 20 March 2018, Manu extended his contract with the Roosters to the end of the 2020 season. On 30 September 2018, Manu played in the

2018 NRL Grand Final The 2018 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2018 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday September 30 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Sydney Roost ...

against the

Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...

, playing at centre and scoring a try in the 21-6 win. In the final minutes of the match, Manu was on the receiving end of a kick to the head while he was on the ground by Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster in which Munster sin binned for the second time in the match. Manu had an enjoyable

2018 NRL season The 2018 NRL season was the 111th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 21st season run by the National Rugby League. The main competition, known as the 2018 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, featured 16 team ...

, playing in 26 matches and scoring 8 tries. The day after the Grand Final win, Manu was selected in the

New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team () has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the Kiwi (bird), native bird of that name. The team' ...

23-man squad for their one-off test against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and their tour of England. On 13 October 2018, Manu made his international debut for New Zealand against Australia, playing at centre and scoring a try in a sensational debut as the Kiwis pulled off a 26-24 win at

2019

Manu made 25 appearances for the

in the

2019 NRL season The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...

as the club finished second on the table and qualified for the finals. Joey Manu Kiwis

Manu played at centre in the club's

2019 NRL Grand Final The 2019 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2019 National Rugby League season and was played at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between defending premiers the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra ...

victory over the

Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugb ...

ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...

2020

On 22 February, Manu played for the

in their 2020

World Club Challenge The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league competition between the winners of the Australian National Rugby League and the British Super League, for the de facto club world championship of the sport. Super League sides have won the c ...

victory defeating St Helens 20-12. Manu played 21 games for the Sydney Roosters in the

2020 NRL season The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year. ; Notes : : : Pre-season ...

. The club finished fourth on the table and qualified for the finals but lost both games to be eliminated in straight sets ending their quest for a third straight premiership.

2021

In round 12 of the

2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...

, he scored two tries in a 44-16 victory over Canberra. In the round 24 match against arch-rivals South Sydney, former teammate

Latrell Mitchell Latrell Mitchell (''né'' Goolagong; born 16 June 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has also represented both New South Wales rugby ...

hit Manu with a high and late shot to the head, resulting in a season-ending depressed cheekbone fracture. The

would go on to lose the match 54-12. On 29 November 2021 after a speculated move to the New Zealand Warriors, Manu extended his contract to start with the Sydney Roosters until the end of 2024.

2022

In round 4 of the

2022 NRL season The 2022 NRL season was the 115th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 16th consecutive year. This became the second longest ...

, he scored two tries for the Sydney Roosters in a 28-4 victory over

North Queensland North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its Tropical North Queensland, trop ...

. The following week, he scored a further two tries in a 24-20 victory over

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

. In round 18, Manu scored two tries in a 54-26 victory over St. George Illawarra. In October he was named in the New Zealand squad for the

2021 Rugby League World Cup The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received � ...

. In November he was named in the 2021 RLWC Team of the Tournament and was named the winner of the Golden Boot, for the best international player of the year. Manu also became the first

player since Anthony Minichiello (in 2005) to claim the award while also becoming the next New Zealander after

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (born 5 June 1993) is a List of dual-code rugby internationals, dual-code rugby international footballer who plays as a er for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League, and as a for Samoa national rugby league ...

(in 2019) to win it despite the award wasn't given to anyone in 2020-2021 due to covid.

2023

In round 3 of the

2023 NRL season The 2023 NRL season was the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, the longest in league history, followed by a finals series ...

, Manu was sent to the sin bin during the Sydney Roosters 20-18 victory over arch-rivals South Sydney. Manu played 21 matches for the Sydney Roosters in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished 7th on the table and qualified for the finals. Manu played in the clubs elimination finals victory over Cronulla but missed the following weeks match against Melbourne in which the Sydney Roosters lost 18-13.

2024

In round 3 of the

2024 NRL season The 2024 NRL season was the 117th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 27th season run by the National Rugby League (NRL). The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, followed by a finals series contested by the top eight ...

, Manu scored two tries for the Sydney Roosters in their 48-6 victory over arch-rivals South Sydney. On 16 April, it was reported that Manu had signed a one-year deal to join Japanese Rugby Union side

starting in 2025. In round 8 of the 2024 NRL season, Manu scored two tries for the Sydney Roosters in their 60-18 victory over St. George Illawarra in the traditional ANZAC Day game. In round 12, Manu scored two tries for the Sydney Roosters in their 44-16 win over Canberra.

Rugby Union

He made his debut for

on December 22, 2024 at centre against

Kubota Spears Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay (commonly known as the Kubota Spears) is a Japanese rugby union team based in Funabashi, Chiba participating in the Japan Rugby League One. The team rebranded as Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay ahead of the r ...

scoring a try on debut. He played at centre and right wing whole season finishing with 11 tries in 18 matches for the season. He played in every game this season but his team did not progress to the knock out rounds.

Honours

Individual * Dally M Centre of the Year: 2022 * IRL Golden Boot: 2022 * RLWC Team of the Tournament: 2021 Sydney Roosters * NRL Premiership: 2018, 2019 * NRL Minor Premiership: 2018 New Zealand * Pacific Championship: 2023

References

External links

Sydney Roosters profile

NRL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manu, Joseph 1996 births Sportspeople from Tokoroa Living people Junior Kiwis players New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand Māori rugby league players New Zealand sportspeople of Cook Island descent People educated at Tokoroa High School Rugby league wingers Rugby league centres Rugby league players from Hamilton, New Zealand Rugby union players from Hamilton, New Zealand Sydney Roosters players Toyota Verblitz players Rugby union players from Tokoroa Wyong Roos players