Manly Sea Eagles recruit Jake Arthur.Credit:Manly Sea Eagles
“I guess that’s just footy,that’s all part of it.”
Arthur,who has made 20 appearances for the Eels,said the move would result in less footy talk with his father.
“He has been making the joke that now I will finally speak to him,because I don’t speak to him at training,” he said.
A young Jake Arthur wore Sea Eagles colours when his father Brad was an assistant coach at the club.
“It will be good that he can be on the outside,he won’t be telling me what to do footy-wise and just be that[father] figure.
“It’s a good opportunity to be uncomfortable. Whenever you’re uncomfortable,it’s a good opportunity to grow and get better.”
Arthur grew up as an Eels fan,but cheered for Manly when his father was an assistant coach in 2013. Aged just 11 at the time,he was a regular at training,where he would kick balls back to Daly Cherry-Evans,the man he has come to either play alongside or replace while the Maroons skipper is on interstate duty.
“Me and my brother always loved footy,so we would come to the captain’s run sessions here when we didn’t have school,” he said.
“He was always good to us,he was always kicking footies to us. He’s always been good.”
Arthur wore a Manly jersey to the team’s semi-final in 2014,but said it felt surreal wearing those colours again after arriving at the club on Monday.
“All I’ve worn is Parramatta for most of my life,” he said. “It was a bit strange putting it on this morning.”
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