Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic came up with five plays in his comeback last Saturday that showed why he needs to be recalled to the NSW side for the State of Origin decider in Brisbane next month.
The Sea Eagles may have lost in golden point to Canterbury last Saturday night, but Trbojevic, playing his first game since injuring his hamstring seven weeks earlier, was excellent on both sides of the ball. His passing game that night also showed that he has lost none of his timing.
The beauty with “Turbo” is he can play fullback, left or right wing, or left or right centre for the Blues at Suncorp Stadium on July 8.
Provided Trbojevic gets through Saturday night’s clash at home against Melbourne – the 15-year anniversary of the famous Battle of Brookvale – his inclusion will, according to many league experts, be a foregone conclusion.
Manly coach Kieran Foran said on Friday he would pick Trbojevic as the Blues’ No. 1.
“I think Tommy brings something not many others do – he’s an incredibly intelligent footballer,” Foran said.
“Look at last week at Canterbury, he came up with three or four try saves, and the work he does with the ball, he poses a threat all the time when he’s out the back of shape. “You just have to have him there, don’t you?”
Trbojevic was happy to explain what was going through his mind when this masthead raised the five moments against the Dogs that could not be underestimated.
Pinpoint passing
Trbojevic rifled a lovely cutout ball for winger Jason Saab that allowed Manly to race up the field in the sixth minute, and score a minute later via Lehi Hopoate.
He liked the fact that another NSW hopeful, Haumole Olakau’atu, had drawn a few defenders the previous play, which left some Dogs backpedalling.
“They were short on the short side after ‘Shmole’s’ [Olakau’atu’s] run, so I jumped down there, played it flat and fast, spotted their winger [Jethro Rinakama] was a bit tight, so we got ‘Saaby’ on the outside of him,” Trbojevic said.
Stopping Curran
Canterbury forward Josh Curran did not realise it was the last play when he charged at the line, only for Trbojevic to stop him.
Trbojevic is so tall that he rarely goes low in a tackle, but on this occasion he was always going to try and keep Curran upright. “All I had to do was get my hands around the ball,” he said.
Covering ground on the last
Canterbury’s first try came when Lachie Galvin dropped the ball onto his boot, and Stephen Crichton was able to score after a sliding Trbojevic was fooled by a wicked bounce.
Yes, Trbojevic did concede the try, but go back and watch how much ground he had to cover. He was involved in the previous tackle and had to start his run from the other side of the upright. It was impressive that he got as close to the action as he did.
“I knew it was the last, I tried to pop out and get across, I tried to slide, but it popped up on me, which was unfortunate,” Trbojevic said. “Play five, that’s always a part of your job to get on your bike and get across.”
Kicking on point
Not known for his kicking, Trbojevic realised he was going nowhere in the 68th minute, dropped the ball onto his left foot, and forced a dropout.
It was pretty impressive considering Trbojevic is a right-footer.
“I didn’t know I could kick it with my left foot either,” a smiling Trbojevic said.
“The way they were defending, it opened up a little land for me. I’ve kicked it a handful of times with my left. I actually had a try assist in an Origin game in Townsville. Maybe I should do it more.”
Stealing possession when it was most needed
Canterbury charged downfield, and winger Enari Tuala was tackled by Trbojevic before he waited for Luke Brooks to pull out of the tackle, before stealing the ball. It was a big play considering it was 12-12, and the Dogs still had a few tackles left inside Manly’s red zone.
“I had a good grip on the ball, and once Brooksy fell off, I had a go at it,” he said. “The ball popped into the air, and I could tap it back to Tolu. It’s not something you think of going into tackles.”
Trbojevic, 29, has repeatedly played down the Origin hype, but said he was prepared to do a job for the team if coach Laurie Daley calls upon him.
“I was disappointed as anyone watching (NSW’s 44-24 loss in) game two,” Trbojevic said. “Of course, I’d love to play for NSW again. You want to see the Blues win. If they need me, I’ll do whatever is needed.”
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