By Omran Wahidy
Noah Manning has wasted no time proving he belongs at the professional level.
After a strong showing in his first taste of NLL action this preseason, scoring six goals in two games, the Victoria product, who the Roughnecks took ninth overall in the 2025 NLL Draft, says confidence has been the backbone of his early success.
“Yeah, I always try to be pretty confident when I’m out there playing,” he explained. “I think every elite athlete can agree that they’re at their best when they’re playing confident and they’re not second-guessing and just kind of doing their thing. So, yeah, those first couple of games were good.”
That mindset has translated to a smooth transition into the Riggers offensive unit, where Manning has been focused on building chemistry and understanding his role.
“Just continuing to kind of try to fit in and get a feel for the guys and how they play and how I can get them open and get myself open,” he said. “Feeling pretty good though. (I’m) super excited for this weekend against Saskatchewan and hopefully I can find the back of the net and hopefully our offence can do the same.”
Manning brings a versatile offensive toolkit that the Riggers may expect to lean on this season. It’s a well-rounded game he’s worked years to develop.
“I kind of want to be a little bit of everything, I like to say,” he explained. “So if I get looks from the outside, I’m not afraid to pull the ball and shoot, but I love to get in front of the net, dive across, finish far side … I’m not afraid to kind of get to the dirty areas and get inside and bang and crash.”
His goal has been to become a player who can impact the floor in every situation.
“I’ve been aiming my whole career to try and do it all in a sense, whether it’s carrying the ball, shooting the ball from the outside, finishing on the inside, setting good picks.”
This past summer was a major stepping stone in preparing him for the jump to the NLL. Facing bigger, stronger, and more experienced opponents in senior lacrosse gave Manning a clearer understanding of the physicality and pace required at the pro level.
“This summer helped me a lot,” he said. “Just kind of shifting from Junior A when you’re playing guys that are 20 and under, and then now I’m playing against professionals and guys that are grown up into their full body. So, yeah, it’s a lot more physical, it’s really intense, and that summer definitely helped me in just kind of getting a feel for everything; it was huge.”
Now, Manning enters his rookie NLL season with a clear sense of purpose, both for himself and for the team.
“There’s a huge opportunity for us,” he said. “You look around the league, and some of the media and outside sources, they’re not expecting or predicting us to do a whole lot. So we’re kind of having that back-against-the-wall mentality right from the start.”
And with several veteran offensive departures over the offseason, Manning knows there is space for new contributors to make their mark.
“Yeah, we’ve got something to prove in Calgary and me especially,” he added. “A lot of offensive guys leaving, big veteran names and stuff, so there’s room for guys to step up and kind of find a role within the team.”
