Manly coach Anthony Seibold has defended the form of star fullback Tom Trbojevic, saying it is unrealistic to expect him to reproduce his stunning 2021 season, which earned him the Dally M Medal.
NSW skipper James Tedesco also revealed he has been in regular contact with Trbojevic, saying it would take time for “Turbo” to restore faith in his body following a string of injuries, but he would not let the Blues down if unleashed against Queensland this month.
Trbojevic had a frustrating night on Friday against the Broncos, most notably when he threw an intercept pass for Selwyn Cobbo, then gave up the chase very quickly. Even his injured brother Jake was seen laying down the law to the fullback at half-time on TV.
Manly favourite Paul Vautin went as far as to say on Channel Nine’s coverage: “He has seriously almost been a passenger for a lot of the game.”
After the 32-6 loss, Trbojevic said: “I’m obviously not playing the footy I want to play at the moment, which is disappointing, but there are no injuries holding me back.”
Seibold said there were few players more diligent with their preparation and the Sea Eagles did not help their fullback when they made errors on the first or second play on nine occasions against Brisbane.
Tom Trbojevic struggled against the Broncos on Friday.Credit: NRL Photos
“Every game Tommy gets compared to his 2021 form, and it is unrealistic to think he will be going out there setting up two or three tries and scoring a few himself like he did during that golden period,” Seibold said on Saturday.
“We didn’t help him on Friday with the amount of errors we made, and against the team on top of the table. When you make that many errors, Tommy can’t get into the game and use his talents. You need to give him a chance, and we didn’t do that.
“Tommy has been working his backside off. I thought he played well to start the year. It’s not through a lack of effort.
“But I do think everyone has this unrealistic idea of Tom setting up tries and scoring them the way he did in 2021, and that’s not going to happen.”
Injuries marred Trbojevic’s 2022 season and disrupted his 2023 preparations.
Tedesco has watched Trbojevic closely. The Sea Eagles star has repeatedly told his NSW and Kangaroos teammate that injuries are no excuse for the dip in performance.
South Sydney’s Campbell Graham, and even Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs, are making strong cases for the NSW right centre spot, but Trbojevic has never disappointed when picked for the Blues.
“As a fan, I want to see Tommy in full flight, especially for Origin,” Tedesco said on Saturday.
“Everyone knows what Tommy at 100 per cent looks like. We can see he’s not at that level at the moment but, from the conversations and texts I’ve had with him, he seems all good.
“He’s had a lot of [injury] history with his body, and it takes time to trust himself and to get back to full health. It’s a scary thing when he gets back to that.”
Tedesco has no say on the NSW side, but said of Trbojevic being there for Origin I in Adelaide: “Tommy is a team player; he will know if he’s right to go, and if he is, he’ll be 100 per cent in.”
Meanwhile, Tedesco said he was proud of the way Joseph Suaalii had continued to work hard on his game, especially in defence, since it was announced he would switch to rugby in 2025.
It was this corresponding weekend last year when Suaalii climbed high for a try against Parramatta and announced himself to the rugby league world.
Tedesco said shifting to centre had been an adjustment for Suaalii and, as a result, his focus on his attack had been “put on the back seat”.
Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has played in the NRL for 15 years, but said he has never seen anyone as gifted as Suaalii.
“This kid is an absolute talent, an absolute freak; I’ve never seen a kid with his capabilities but have a head that is so switched on and so focused on what he will do,” Waerea-Hargreaves said.
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