Former Hull FC and Castleford Tigers man Tex Hoy appears to have been offered the chance to train with an NRL club.
Hoy left Castleford in November after being released from the final year of his contract to head back home to Australia. That was a decision that brought about an end to his three-season stint in Super League after initially joining up with Hull ahead of the 2023 campaign.
The 26-year-old made 24 outings for the Black and Whites before joining Castleford Tigers at the start of the 2024 season and making a further 35 appearances. He scored 13 tries in black and amber, too.
Ultimately, though, he has returned down under and it seems as though he has been offered the chance to earn a deal with an NRL contract. That’s because Hoy has been spotted in training with Manly Sea Eagles in pre-season.
The details of the deal have not been disclosed, but it seems likely that he has been signed up on a train and trial deal that could allow him to step back into the first grade picture under Anthony Seibold.
Of course, Manly aren’t exactly short of options when it comes to the full-back role with Tom Trbojevic remaining the club’s first choice number one for the time being. Lehi Hopoate and Tolutau Koula can also play in the full-back role, but Hoy would provide a specialist option at the very least.
The Sea Eagles do have a standalone reserve grade side in the New South Wales Cup and Hoy could be seen as option there, too.
The Australian does have NRL experience, of course, and he started his career with Newcastle Knights. He made his debut for the Knights in 2020 and he went on to make 29 appearances for his hometown town before making the move over to Super League.
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SPOTTED: Tex Hoy has been seen training with the Manly Sea Eagles.
We’re not sure what type of deal this is but it looks like Tex has a home in Manly in 2026.
It gives Manly direct fullback cover for Tom Trbojevic without rejigging their backline should they require. pic.twitter.com/gOv6I0lcEA
— The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) January 28, 2026
