Joseph Manu is going back to where he came from. The 30-year-old New Zealand centre has told Racing 92’s management he will not extend his contract and has signed a two-year deal with the PNG Chiefs, the Papua New Guinea franchise set to join the NRL. He will therefore leave the Hauts-de-Seine at the end of the 2026-2027 season.
His switch to union made headlines in 2024. A star at the Sydney Roosters, where our records credit him with 180 matches and 69 tries, he first signed for Toyota Verblitz in Japan before joining Racing in the summer of 2025.
The contrast between his two union seasons is striking.
| Season | Club | Matches | Minutes | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | Toyota Verblitz | 18 | 1,184 | 11 |
| 2025-2026 | Racing 92 | 22 | 1,206 | 1 |
Same code, same position, almost identical game time, and eleven tries on one side against a single one on the other, scored against Clermont. The gap in standard between the Japanese league and the Top 14 no doubt explains part of the difference, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
At 30, Manu will return to the code that made his name, and to a franchise that also dreams of landing Ardie Savea. He still has one season left to play in the Top 14.
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