Jon Mannah facts for kids
Mannah in 2011
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Personal information
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| Full name | Jonathan Mannah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 September 1989 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Died | 18 January 2013 (aged 23) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 107 kg (16 st 12 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jonathan Mannah (born 13 September 1989 – died 18 January 2013) was an Australian professional rugby league player. He played as a prop, which is a forward position, for two teams: the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks from 2009 to 2011 and the Parramatta Eels in 2012. Both teams are part of Australia's top rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
After his passing, a special award called the Johnny Mannah Cup was created in his honour. Since 2013, the two clubs he played for, the Sharks and the Eels, compete for this cup every year.
Early Life and Family
Jonathan Mannah was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His family had Lebanese Australian heritage. He was the younger brother of Tim Mannah, who later became a captain for the Parramatta Eels team.
Like his brother Tim, Jonathan went to Christian Community High School. In 2007, which was his final year of high school, he was the vice-captain.
Playing Rugby League
Both Jonathan and his brother Tim started their rugby league journeys playing for the Parramatta Eels in their junior teams. However, just before the 2009 NRL season began, Jon moved from Parramatta to join the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
In 2011, Jonathan scored his very first try in a top-level game for Cronulla. This happened in round 3 of the season, during a match against the Penrith Panthers. He played 24 games over three seasons with the Sharks. In November 2011, he decided to return to his first club, Parramatta, to play alongside his brother Tim.
Jonathan also had the chance to play for the Lebanon national team. He was chosen for their squad to play in the qualifying tournament for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He was able to play for Lebanon because of his family's heritage.
Illness and Passing
In 2009, Jonathan Mannah was diagnosed with a serious illness called Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is a type of cancer that affects the body's immune system.
Sadly, Jonathan passed away from this illness on 18 January 2013. He was only 23 years old. His funeral was held in Regents Park, Sydney, on 21 January 2013.
The Johnny Mannah Cup
Jonathan Mannah played for both the Parramatta Eels and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks during his career. To remember him, these two clubs created the Johnny Mannah Cup.
The cup is played for annually. The first time the Parramatta Eels and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks play each other in a season, they compete for the Johnny Mannah Cup. It's a way to honour Jonathan's memory and his connection to both teams.
