Tom Trbojevic will head to the US next month to spend time with Bill Knowles, the reconditioning specialist who reinvigorated South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell last season.
Trbojevic will spend a fortnight in Philadelphia with Knowles after he broke down with his latest hamstring injury last week.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold told the Herald that Trbojevic remained on track to play in round one against Canterbury, and the fortnight with Knowles was about accelerating his fitness levels rather than mending his latest injury.
“Obviously we saw what working with Bill Knowles did for Latrell, so we thought it was a good opportunity for Tom to spend some time over there,” Seibold said.
“I spoke with Souths physio Luke Annesley who was really complimentary about Bill and the work he did with Latrell. And I also know Paul Devlin who knew Bill from his time working in the UK.
“It’s a great chance to do some reconditioning work. It’s got nothing to do with rehabbing his hamstring. Bill is all about what an athlete can do rather than what an athlete can’t do.
Going to America: Tom Trbojevic is off to work with Bill Knowles who helped get Latrell Mitchell in peak condition.Credit:NRL Photos
“Tom is excited to work with someone different and in a different country.”
Trbojevic suffered a grade-two hamstring tear last week during a training drill, and was ruled out for up to eight weeks.
The 26-year-old still attended Manly’s training camp in the state’s central west this week, as did skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom’s brother Jake Trbojevic, who were not required to return to training until the new year.
Like Souths, Manly will document Trbojevic’s time with Knowles, and secured a sponsorship deal to bankroll the majority of the hit-and-run trip.
The Herald revealed this year how Souths’ sponsor Ingenia Holiday Parks picked up the bulk of Mitchell’s tab, which left the club out of pocket just over $10,000.
Trbojevic told the Manly website on Thursday: “We obviously saw what Latrell did on the back of the [Knowles visit], and this is an opportunity for me to look at a few new ideas and pick some things out I can bring back here – hopefully I can have a really good 2023.”
Mitchell missed more than two months with his own hamstring injury last season, and his trip to see Knowles was designed to ensure he made an immediate impact on the field when he did return. The Souths ace spoke regularly about what Knowles did for his body and mind.
Trbojevic has spent time working with hamstring specialist David Opar, but he helps strengthen hamstrings, something that is no longer an issue for “Turbo”.
Seibold is entering his first season as head coach of the Sea Eagles and knows the club’s hopes of returning to the finals hinges on how many games their fullback plays.
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