Now without Blake Green and unable to poach Mitchell Pearce, Manly coach Trent Barrett has backed 21-year-old Lachlan Croker to step up next season and possibly partner Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves.
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Croker joined the Sea Eagles in November after playing just one NRL game for the Raiders across two seasons.
Though restricted to the one NRL appearance to date, Barrett has liked what he's seen of Croker in the off season and backed him to perform in 2018.
"Lachlan Croker spent most of the off-season there, he's looking really good actually," Barrett told Manly's club website.
"He's a confident young bloke and I think he's ready to certainly step up into that role.
"Jackson Hastings is also going really well, so we're pretty comfortable there."
Croker is the nephew of former Australian representative and Canberra veteran Jason Croker.
Manly were recently hit with breach notice by the NRL over salary cap irregularities but that didn't stop them securing the signature of Joel Thompson from the Dragons.
