{"id":52597,"date":"2025-07-04T02:03:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T02:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.letsportsrock.com\/?p=52597"},"modified":"2025-07-04T02:03:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T02:03:03","slug":"top-recruiting-story-of-the-year-an-elite-player-makes-shocking-decision-commits-to-canberra-over-sea-eagles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.letsportsrock.com\/?p=52597","title":{"rendered":"Top Recruiting Story of the Year: An elite player Makes Shocking Decision, Commits to Canberra Over Sea Eagles…….."},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/div><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

21-year-old backline talent **Kaeo\u202fWeekes**, a dynamic playmaker who debuted with Manly in 2022 and showed flashes of brilliance. Over three seasons in the NRL, he played 42 games, scored 12 tries, and kicked 8 goals ([en.wikipedia.org][1]).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**The Decision:** Despite being nurtured by the Sea Eagles system, Weekes signed a two-year deal with the Raiders, starting in 2024. This move raised eyebrows as Manly had hoped to hold on to the young prospect .<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**Why It Matters:**<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* Canberra saw high potential in Weekes, valuing his versatility across fullback, wing, and halves.<\/p>\n

* Weekes reportedly felt Canberra offered a clearer path to consistent NRL opportunities, especially amid tough competition at Manly ([en.wikipedia.org][1]).<\/p>\n

* Manly\u2019s midfield depth made Weekes a strategic recruit for the Raiders \u2014 a smart move in their youth-driven rebuild.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**Reaction:**<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* Weekes expressed excitement about joining Canberra and relished the chance to “knuckle down on footy” ([reddit.com][2]).<\/p>\n

* Fans on r\/nrl weighed in:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

> \u201cThe Canberra Raiders have signed exciting young backline player Kaeo Weekes\u2026 I\u2019m looking forward to moving away from home.\u201d ([reddit.com][2])<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**Impact:**<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* Weekes has since become a regular contributor, injecting youth and unpredictability into Canberra\u2019s spine.<\/p>\n

* His arrival also underscores Canberra\u2019s growing strategy of attracting promising talent from rival clubs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**Bottom line (\u2248\u202f200 words):**<\/p>\n

Kaeo Weekes\u2019 move from Manly to Canberra is the standout recruitment of the year. Opting for the Raiders\u2019 pathway over what might have been a crowded Sea Eagles roster, Weekes has already started making an impact. Canberra\u2019s ability to secure young talent like him marks a smart pivot in their long-term rebuild\u2014and gives Weekes a prime platform to accelerate his career.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

21-year-old backline talent **Kaeo\u202fWeekes**, a dynamic playmaker who debuted with Manly in 2022 and showed flashes of brilliance. Over three seasons in the NRL, he played 42 games, scored 12 tries, and kicked 8 goals ([en.wikipedia.org][1]).   **The Decision:** Despite being nurtured by the Sea Eagles system, Weekes signed a two-year deal with the Raiders, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nTop Recruiting Story of the Year: An elite player Makes Shocking Decision, Commits to Canberra Over Sea Eagles........<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Top Recruiting Story of the Year: An elite player Makes Shocking Decision, Commits to Canberra Over Sea Eagles........\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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