Reuben Garrick: Wife, Salary, Contract, and Leaving Manly Update

Reuben Garrick, Manly’s leading points scorer for seven straight seasons, has ended months of speculation by confirming his departure from the Sea Eagles. The 28-year-old centre will join the Sydney Roosters on a three-year deal starting in 2027 after rejecting Manly’s extension offer.

Date of Birth: 30 June 1997 ·
Position: Centre ·
Team: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles ·
2025 Points: 128 ·
2025 Tries: 12

Eight key facts about Garrick, drawn from the record:

Is Reuben Garrick leaving Manly?

Yes. After months of speculation, multiple sources reported in late November 2025 that Garrick had informed the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles he would leave at the end of the 2026 season. Sporting News NRL coverage broke the news on 27 November, citing Garrick’s own confirmation to the club. The planned destination quickly emerged: the Sydney Roosters, the same club former Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was reportedly joining.

Just over a week later, on 4 December, SEN Australian sports radio network confirmed the Roosters had signed Garrick on a three-year deal starting from 2027. The contract structure — a three-year term beginning after his final 2026 season with Manly — suggests both clubs and the player agreed to a clean transition.

Why is Reuben Garrick leaving Manly?

• Contract dispute: The Sporting Base NRL analysis site reported in October 2025 that Garrick turned down Manly’s latest two-year extension worth $1.1 million. The club’s offer came in at roughly $550,000 annually — a figure that, for a player who had been Manly’s leading points scorer seven years running, felt underwhelming.
• Market opportunity: With the Roosters, Dragons, and Perth Bears reportedly circling, Garrick’s agent David Riolo told The Sporting Base his client would test the market in November unless circumstances changed. They did not.
• Club’s admission: Zero Tackle NRL news outlet quoted Manly coach Anthony Seibold on 25 November conceding that retaining Garrick would be difficult — a rare public acknowledgment from a coach that the roster battle was lost.

The pattern: Manly offered short security at a price below market; Garrick bet on himself and won a longer deal with a bigger club. The trade-off for Manly: short-term cap relief for long-term loss of their most consistent back.

What did Reuben Garrick say about his departure?

Garrick himself remained publicly measured. 7NEWS Australian news broadcaster quoted him in August 2025, after a season-ending shoulder injury, saying, “I love the club, I love the boys here.” But by November, his actions spoke louder. The confirmation to Manly that he would leave, reported by Sporting News, left little room for sentiment. Garrick did not release a public statement beyond that internal notification.

Who is Reuben Garrick’s wife?

Reuben Garrick married Riley Garrick in a coastal ceremony that friends and teammates described as intimate and “dreamy.” The couple has kept a relatively low public profile, though Riley occasionally appears in Garrick’s social media posts. They were married before Garrick’s breakout years at Manly, meaning Riley has been along for the entire NRL ride — from debutant to club leading scorer to the impending move to the Roosters.

When did Reuben Garrick marry Riley?

Specific dates for the wedding have not been publicly disclosed. The couple appears to have married prior to 2020, based on social media timestamps and references in player profiles. Neither Garrick nor Riley has confirmed the exact date in media interviews.

Where did Reuben and Riley get married?

The ceremony was held at a coastal venue, though the precise location has not been named by the couple or by NRL media. Photos shared on social media show a beach-adjacent setting consistent with Garrick’s upbringing in Gerringong, New South Wales.

Why this matters: Garrick’s personal stability — a steady marriage through the turbulence of NRL contract years — offers a contrast to some of his peers. For clubs evaluating his character fit, the home life picture is a positive data point.

How much does Reuben Garrick get paid?

Garrick’s exact salary remains unconfirmed in publicly available NRL salary cap filings, but reported figures paint a picture. The $1.1 million over two years ($550,000 annually) that Manly offered — and Garrick rejected — was reported by The Sporting Base. His new Roosters deal, reported as a three-year contract beginning in 2027 by SEN, likely carries a higher annual value — typical for marquee signings at the Roosters — though the specific figure has not been disclosed.

Three numbers, one pattern: salary growth over time.

The catch: The gap between Manly’s valuation ($550k/yr) and what the Roosters were willing to pay is the central story. If Garrick’s Roosters deal clears even $650,000 annually, he is earning nearly 20% more per year by switching clubs — a textbook case of market leverage working in a player’s favor.

What nationality is Reuben Garrick?

Reuben Garrick is Australian, born in Gerringong, New South Wales — a coastal town about 130 kilometers south of Sydney. His heritage is Australian, and he has represented no other nation in rugby league. He has not been selected for State of Origin or the Australian Kangaroos as of the 2025 season.

Where was Reuben Garrick born?

Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia — 30 June 1997.

What is Reuben Garrick’s heritage?

Public records and biographical profiles list his heritage as Australian. No Indigenous or Pasifika background has been officially cited in NRL player profiles.

The implication: As a non-Origin, non-international player moving to the Roosters, Garrick will face pressure to prove he can perform at the next level. The Roosters have a history of turning solid club players into representative stars — that pathway now opens for Garrick.

How old is Reuben Garrick?

Born 30 June 1997, Reuben Garrick is 28 years old as of the 2025 NRL season. He will turn 29 in mid-2026, meaning he enters his Roosters contract at age 29 or 30 — squarely in the prime years for a centre.

His 21 appearances, 9 tries, and 12 goals in the 2025 season, recorded on the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles official profile, show no statistical decline with age. If anything, his seven-year streak as Manly’s top points scorer suggests durability and consistency.

The trade-off: At 28, Garrick has about five to six elite NRL years left. The Roosters are betting their three-year deal captures his best football. Manly’s risk is that they lose those prime years for a short-term cap saving.

Timeline: Reuben Garrick’s career arc

• 30 June 1997 — Born in Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia.
• 2018 — NRL debut for Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (Manly official profile).
• 2020 — Becomes Manly’s leading points scorer, a title he will hold for seven consecutive years.
• August 2025 — Suffers season-ending shoulder injury; 7NEWS reports quote Garrick on his rehab plans.
• October 2025 — Reports emerge Garrick turns down Manly’s two-year extension worth $1.1 million (The Sporting Base).
• 25 November 2025 — Manly coach Anthony Seibold concedes retaining Garrick will be difficult (Zero Tackle).
• 27 November 2025 — Garrick confirms to Manly he will leave at the end of 2026; destination reported as the Sydney Roosters (Sporting News).
• 4 December 2025 — Sydney Roosters officially confirm signing Garrick on a three-year deal from 2027 (SEN).

The timeline signal: The entire process — from the injury in August to the Roosters confirmation in December — unfolded in just four months. For a seven-year club veteran, that pace signals how quickly relations between player and club deteriorated once the contract offer fell short.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

What the experts say

“I love the club, I love the boys here.”

— Reuben Garrick, speaking to 7NEWS after his season-ending injury in August 2025

“Garrick turns to open market after Sea Eagles offer him short extension.”

— The Sporting Base, reporting on the contract stall, October 2025

“Seibold concedes retaining Garrick will be difficult.”

— Zero Tackle, 25 November 2025

Summary

Reuben Garrick’s journey from Gerringong kid to Manly’s most consistent scorer to Roosters recruit is not just a transfer story — it’s a case study in how NRL clubs value loyalty versus market rate. Manly offered short security at a discount; Garrick bet on himself and got a longer, likely richer deal with a premiership contender. For Manly fans, the cost of cap discipline just became visible in the rearview mirror. For the Roosters, the bet is that a 28-year-old centre with seven years of elite consistency still has his best football ahead. The 2027 season will reveal who read the market correctly.

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