Injured Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic says he has no intentions of allowing his latest hamstring injury to force him into an early retirement.
Trbojevic is also looking forward to seeing what Sea Eagles teammate Tolu Koula can do at fullback while he is sidelined, and is even open to giving up the No.1 jersey if caretaker coach Kieran Foran believes it’s the best option for his long-term health and the team.
The man known as ‘Turbo’ broke down in the 13th minute against the Cowboys last Thursday night in Townsville.
The shattered look on his face as he made his way from the field, knowing he was set for another lengthy stint in rehabilitation, would have melted the hearts of rival supporters – especially given his injury history.
It was Trbojevic’s eighth hamstring injury in as many seasons.
“I understand there will be a lot of people asking the question, and saying different things about that [early retirement], but I love playing footy, I want to keep playing the game I love, so it’s something I won’t even entertain,” Trbojevic told this masthead.
“All I can do is keep working hard. It’s unfortunate, and I’m as disappointed as any Manly fan.
“The hardest thing is you don’t have the direct answers as to why it keeps happening.
“We’ll implement things we learned from [Melbourne-based hamstring expert] David [Opar], keep taking in information, and try to better our recovery program.
“I had actually been feeling good all year. As soon as it happened, I knew. It didn’t happen when I was running. I actually did it when I was in the tackle. I was trying to twist, and my leg got extended a little awkwardly.
“It’s not a great feeling when you walk off the field. You put in so much work to try and prevent injuries. When you realise where you’re going to end up [in rehab] for the next little bit, it’s always sad.”
Trbojevic, 29, is facing up to eight weeks out of action, which is not only a blow for Manly but also NSW, with Blues coach Laurie Daley confirming he had loved seeing Turbo back in full flight and playing with confidence.
Koula slotted into fullback in the win over the Cowboys, and was nothing short of phenomenal.
The Tongan international and former sprint star will wear the No.1 against Parramatta on Sunday afternoon.
Another regular water-cooler debate when it comes to Trbojevic and his unlucky run of injuries is whether the physical demands of playing fullback are doing more harm than good to his body. He played a few games in the centres when returning from a setback last season.
“I try not to get caught up in that debate too much,” Trbojevic said.
“Fullback is where I like playing, but I’ll do whatever ‘Foz’ [Foran] wants me to do.
“Tolu is a quality player, and someone I’m looking forward to watching. He’s an absolute threat with the ball in his hands, and breaks tackles so easily. All I can do is focus on my recovery and doing whatever I can for the team.”
Trbojevic made a point of watching the second half against the Cowboys in the coach’s box, and Foran said last Friday how invaluable it was to lean on a player like him in real time.
“It was a wonderful luxury; we want him on the field, it won’t be the case the next few weeks, but we gain an advantage having him in the box,” Foran said.
