Manly backing Barrett, for now

Manly chairman Scott Penn has issued his first warning to coach Trent Barrett, saying the club’s current results will be unacceptable once their star players return.

The Sea Eagles have slumped to 14th on the NRL ladder with just four wins in their opening 13 games, however they have suffered continual injury issues with a number of players, including halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, captain Jamie Lyon and centre Steve Matai, who is out for the season.

And while Penn said he was backing Barrett given the current injury toll, he said things had to change once the team was back to full strength.

“Once we start to get some consistency with players on the field, if were not performing then, we’ll have a different conversation,” Penn told News Corp Australia.

“We can’t lay all the blame on that but certainly that’s a significant factor.

“We have had injuries in every key position. That makes it very difficult.”

Barrett is midway through his first season of a three-year deal at the club, after the Sea Eagles opted to terminate the final year of former coach Geoff Toovey’s contract.

The club also recruited a number of high-profile players including Dylan Walker, Apisai Koroisau, Darcy Lussick, Matt Parcell, Nate Myles, Martin Taupau and Lewis Brown, however to this stage the team are yet to fire.

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