Rennie To Add
Grunt To Eagles Pack

BIG, strong and full of confidence, young Kiwi prop Dallas Rennie is looking forward to a successful 2004 NRL season with the Manly Sea Eagles.

Recommended to the club by former Manly and New Zealand coach Graham Lowe, Rennie arrived in Manly this week.

The signing of Rennie was clouded by controversy after he expressed interest in joining Souths before eventually signing with the Sea Eagles.

"I was talking to them (Souths) before I was talking to Manly and let them know I was really keen to get over here," Rennie said this week. "They then jumped the gun before I had signed anything. But it seems to have all blown over now."

Advice from friends and coaches pointed the 113kg prop to Manly ahead of Souths.

"They told me it was a nicer area and that Manly was a good team who would give me plenty of opportunities."

Rennie was contracted to the New Zealand Warriors for the 2003 season but did not get an opportunity in the NRL, instead he played out the season with Hibiscus Coast in the New Zealand national competition.

This year was the first season that Rennie had not made the finals in three years with the Hibiscus team. For most of his rugby league life the 20-year-old has played in successful teams and he expects that trend to continue at Manly.

"I want to be a winner wherever I go," Rennie said. "I have tended to land in winning teams and I think that will keep going here."

Rennie is one of several young props vying for the Sea Eagles first grade squad.

Ian Donnelly from the Dragons and Eels pair Kane deal and Daniel Heckenberg are the other new props to join local product Jason King up front in the engine room.