The Manly Sea Eagles insist Tom Trbojevic’s latest setback doesn’t appear to be a serious injury despite the fullback failing to finish the match against the Wests Tigers on Sunday.
Trbojevic left Manly and NSW fans with their hearts in their mouths as he left the field in the dying minutes of Sunday’s come-from-behind win over the Tigers at Campbelltown with a groin injury.
While Trbojevic didn’t finish the game, Manly Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said the club’s medical staff was confident that the groin injury wasn’t serious.
“He’s twinged his groin,” Seibold said in the post-match press conference. “He just said it felt uncomfortable to run. He knows his body really well. He thought it was best to come off rather than hurt it any further. He’s walking around in the change room with an ice pack on but it doesn’t appear to be anything sinister. Obviously he’ll have scans and we’ll go from there, but it’s a groin injury.
“They [medical staff] didn’t feel as though it was serious. He felt as though he could’ve kept playing but he could feel it when he ran. He’s being smart about it. He didn’t finish the game, but we’ll see how he pulls up tomorrow.”
The Sea Eagles will be sweating on scan results over the next 48 hours. Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans, who also doubles as Queensland State of Origin captain, said he hoped the injury wouldn’t keep the star fullback out of action for long.
Star Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic left the field with a groin injury yesterday.Credit: Getty
“He’s my teammate first and foremost,” Cherry-Evans said. “I’m definitely worried about him when he goes off the field. Tom’s so competitive, he’s so tough. It’s going to take a fair bit to keep him out. As Seibs said, the initial reports are it’s not too bad. Tom’s a tough fella and if he can play he will play.
“I was behind him when the injury happened. On a wet dewy night, it really was so innocuous. I felt like that’s something that is not too uncommon on a night like tonight. I think he was pretty unlucky. There’s been plenty of those in games where people’s feet slide out from under them. Reagan Campbell-Gillard got the worst end of that the other night when the dewy ground will split your legs.
“I watched the tackle with Tom. It’s not to say it’s not going to be bad, but it’s probably not too uncommon with a night like tonight.”
The Blues are already battling up front with front-row hopeful Reagan Campbell-Gillard facing 6-8 weeks recovery from a hip abductor injury suffered in a hip-drop tackle by NSW prop Payne Haas.
Back-row contender Keaon Koloamatangi is also out for at least six weeks because of an ankle injury, while Liam Martin is currently sidelined with a recurring hamstring injury that ruled him out of Penrith’s most recent loss to Souths.
NSW regular Angus Crichton also plays his first game of the year on Anzac Day after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
