Tommy Dances again?

Tom Starling has been linked* to the Manly Sea-Eagles. Shouts to the Sydney Milk Syndicate for

Quick. Play list the caveats with me.

It was ‘reported’ by Bryan Fletcher, who last time we checked, wasn’t a journalist, or even obviously interested in playing one on TV (shouts to the Sydney Milk Syndicate for posting the clip). It was in reference to his availability as a free agent for the 2028 season, so not even a problem for now. He can’t even negotiate around for that deal until 1 November. So let’s say there’s a fair chance that this is noise.

Having said that, it makes sense. Starling lost his starting job to Owen Pattie this year. Coming for his bench job are Malachi Smith and Shaun Packer, probably in that order, based on Smith’s late season debut and his utility. Starling is 28, and will 29 by the time he needs a new deal. His best mate, Hudson Young, is in all likelihood leaving town at the same time, so why not move to Manly, which I understand is quite nice, and compete with *checks notes* Brandon Wakeham for a starting job.

We’ve also been through this dance before. At the beginning of 2025 it was Souths that were the tango partner, and it seemed all hope was lost then. And then it wasn’t, Tommy had a career year and things were looking rosy.

The Raiders are reportedly keen to keep him, and are in negotiations with Starling at the moment. Which speaks to the timing of this. While there are definitely ‘pull factors’ dragging Tommy away from Canberra, it’s just as likely this noise is to do with a money discussion with the Milk that maybe needed a bit of jolt to move in the direction that Tomasz wanted.

Fletch didn’t reveal much about his sources, just as likely to be a player agent from the agency representing Tom as it is to be a version of you that happened to sit next to B-Ry at whatever inner East pub he was at. But would it shock me if he was just repeating what an agent had told him? He certainly wouldn’t have called Canberra to find out how true it was. He instead put it direct on air to Jarrod Croker.

Starling is a great player and I hope the Raiders keep him. The unique mix of defensive resolve, quick heels, and team-oriented mindset, are the perfect mix from a 14. He’s been a vocal leader at the club, an older player in a team without many of them. Players like Tom become less exciting as they become known quantities. We know now that Starling is never going to be an all-world nine. But he’s still a solid weapon to have in your arsenal.

But if the Raiders lose him they’d have players ready to fill the breech behind him. They would have already gotten the best of his career, and only missed out on one contract really before his pace and acceleration erodes and what makes him elite starts to wane.

So, if this is a pitch to elevate his worth then I hope the Raiders make an effort to keep Starling in Canberra, within reason of course. But if this noise is more than that, the start of Starling’s long farewell to the club, then I will shake his hand, say thank you and wish him the best. He’s given a lot to the club.

But we’re ahead of ourselves. Bryan Fletcher is not a journalist. Tom Starling isn’t actually on the market. The Raiders are trying to keep him, and the most likely explanation of this rumour is that it’s reflective of that discussion, more than any other.

For now at least.

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