The Daily Telegraph- Dean Ritchie
AND you thought Manly’s Tom Trbojevic was already a superstar.
The explosive 20-year-old has declared he is ready to go even faster in 2017 after undergoing off-season surgery to fix a troublesome right ankle.
Likening it to a “60-year-old walking around with a stiff ankle”, Manly’s head of physical performance Dan Ferris is the man charged with spending the summer basically teaching the Sea Eagles fullback how to run again after years of hampered movement.
Ferris has an exhaustive off-season program working to correct Trbojevic’s balance to stop him placing too much pressure in his left ankle.
“The ankle is going to be freed-up which is going to allow him to run quicker,” Ferris said.
“Re-teach the brain that the ankle is fine, there is no injury now. He is going to get stronger and more powerful.
“In terms of his running, he has basically run the past two years with a stiff ankle. If you picture a 60-year-old walking around with stiff ankle, he’s had the same thing. Now it has been loosened, it has been strengthened through surgery, we have to re-run him and teach him how to run balanced.
“He has been putting all his pressure on one side of his body. Now he has to even it up.”
Given he’s just turned 20 this month, Ferris also had to consider the potential issues arising from the added bulk on Trbojevic’s 194cm frame.
“He has gone from 90kg two years ago to 105kg,” Ferris said.
“Now we have to make sure we combat his strength with his growth spurt. There are a few things to work but he’s an athlete.”
The surgery is expected to keep Trbojevic out of action for five months, but he’s on track to be ready for the Sea Eagles’ round-one clash.
Trbojevic ditched his moon boot and is ready to charge into rehab.
“This year it was probably toughest because, late in games, it pulled up sore. I had trouble with it for about four or five games there. It would just get sore and stiffen up,” Trbojevic said.
“Hopefully as a result of surgery, I can become a bit faster. I got run down a few times this season. You like to score tries and not get run down. Hopefully I can get a bitter quicker.
“It is always good to be bigger, stronger and faster.”
As much as he would welcome increased speed, Trbojevic is more excited about the potential of an injury free run during the season.
“What I am looking for now is to have a more stable ankle that I won’t keep injuring, touch wood,” he said. “If I can get that, I would be very happy with the surgery.
“Dan Ferris is really good with speed work. Hopefully I can pick up my speed a little bit.”
Ferris was more than hopeful Trbojevic could improve his speed, adamant he would emerge from the surgery even faster.
“He will. Definitely. Our off-season plan for him is to rehab the ankle and make sure he gets full mobility and stability in it,” Ferris said.
“Secondly, take him through a speed program. Get him back to where he should be.
“In terms of his strength, he is still a young kid. He has only had one-and-a-half off-seasons under his belt. Every year he is going to put on another one to two kilograms of muscle. I think he will end up 106kg, 107kg and lean.”
AND you thought Manly’s Tom Trbojevic was already a superstar.
The explosive 20-year-old has declared he is ready to go even faster in 2017 after undergoing off-season surgery to fix a troublesome right ankle.
Likening it to a “60-year-old walking around with a stiff ankle”, Manly’s head of physical performance Dan Ferris is the man charged with spending the summer basically teaching the Sea Eagles fullback how to run again after years of hampered movement.
Ferris has an exhaustive off-season program working to correct Trbojevic’s balance to stop him placing too much pressure in his left ankle.
“The ankle is going to be freed-up which is going to allow him to run quicker,” Ferris said.
“Re-teach the brain that the ankle is fine, there is no injury now. He is going to get stronger and more powerful.
“In terms of his running, he has basically run the past two years with a stiff ankle. If you picture a 60-year-old walking around with stiff ankle, he’s had the same thing. Now it has been loosened, it has been strengthened through surgery, we have to re-run him and teach him how to run balanced.
“He has been putting all his pressure on one side of his body. Now he has to even it up.”
Given he’s just turned 20 this month, Ferris also had to consider the potential issues arising from the added bulk on Trbojevic’s 194cm frame.
“He has gone from 90kg two years ago to 105kg,” Ferris said.
“Now we have to make sure we combat his strength with his growth spurt. There are a few things to work but he’s an athlete.”
The surgery is expected to keep Trbojevic out of action for five months, but he’s on track to be ready for the Sea Eagles’ round-one clash.
Trbojevic ditched his moon boot and is ready to charge into rehab.
“This year it was probably toughest because, late in games, it pulled up sore. I had trouble with it for about four or five games there. It would just get sore and stiffen up,” Trbojevic said.
“Hopefully as a result of surgery, I can become a bit faster. I got run down a few times this season. You like to score tries and not get run down. Hopefully I can get a bitter quicker.
“It is always good to be bigger, stronger and faster.”
As much as he would welcome increased speed, Trbojevic is more excited about the potential of an injury free run during the season.
“What I am looking for now is to have a more stable ankle that I won’t keep injuring, touch wood,” he said. “If I can get that, I would be very happy with the surgery.
“Dan Ferris is really good with speed work. Hopefully I can pick up my speed a little bit.”
Ferris was more than hopeful Trbojevic could improve his speed, adamant he would emerge from the surgery even faster.
“He will. Definitely. Our off-season plan for him is to rehab the ankle and make sure he gets full mobility and stability in it,” Ferris said.
“Secondly, take him through a speed program. Get him back to where he should be.
“In terms of his strength, he is still a young kid. He has only had one-and-a-half off-seasons under his belt. Every year he is going to put on another one to two kilograms of muscle. I think he will end up 106kg, 107kg and lean.”