Cade Cust on Wigan Warriors and why he won’t close door on Manly dream

Wigan Warriors signing Cade Cust hasn’t ruled out a return to the NRL in the future as he prepares to make the move to the Northern Hemisphere.

The half-back opted to swap Manly Sea Eagles for the Super League earlier this month after penning an initial two-year deal.

Cust emerged through the youth ranks at Manly and went on to make 27 NRL appearances for the club.

However, he’ll hope to develop and take his game to the next level in the Super League with Wigan where he is expected to shine, with the bookmakers currently ranking him as the outright favourite for the 2022 Man of Steel prize.

The 23-year-old will make the journey over in the coming weeks and he’s looking forward to the challenge, but he hasn’t given up hope of returning to Manly down the line.

“It’s an opportunity that I’m really excited for,” he told Manly’s official website.

“It all happened quite quickly, they reached out and we were having chats about the way they wanted me to play, playing in the halves and being a dominant figure, I think that’s something that will be good for my footy career.

“As a half if I go over there and play good footy I think I’ll develop not only as a player but as a person, it will be an experience. I can’t wait to join a club like Wigan, they’re very prestigious, there’s a lot of history there so I’m looking forward to that opportunity and I can’t wait to get over there.

“It’s a two-year deal there with Wigan and there’s a third year as a club option.

“That will be good and then if I return to the NRL, Manly will have the first opportunity negotiate a deal.

“I love Manly, it’s where I’ve grown up playing through the juniors and that’s always there if I do come back to the NRL and hopefully we can sort that out in the future. It’s a door I won’t close because I love the club.”