Monday Buzz: How the Tom Trbojevic-inspired Sea Eagles are suddenly turning heads in 2021
Remember after four weeks of the season when Manly were dead last and fan backlash was as brutal as it gets. Fast forward 10 weeks and things have changed dramatically, says Phil Rothfield.
Ten weeks is a long time in rugby league. Enough time for the Manly Sea Eagles to go from wooden spoon contenders to a genuine premiership threat.
They are now one of the teams Melbourne Storm and other clubs fear as much as any of their rivals. Manly are flying and are a real premiership threat.
“Whilst ever Tommy Turbo is healthy, Manly are a serious contender for this premiership,” says Frank Ponissi, Storm’s general manager of football.
“Dessie will play it down but they are a big threat.”
The transformation since superstar Tom Trbojevic’s comeback has been quite stunning. In attack they averaged just 8.5 points per game in the first four rounds but 33 points since his return.
In defence they conceded 39 points per game, but have got it down to 14 since Turbo’s comeback.
For a player to have so much influence, Manly definitely got a bargain when Turbo signed for six seasons at $1 million a year - $200,000 a season less than David Fifita is getting on the Gold Coast. He’d get $1.3 million now if he was on the open market.
On Friday night, the Sea Eagles ran in 50 points to destroy the Cowboys, remarkably without Turbo and rising star Josh Schuster in the second-row.
Tom Trbojevic missed the win over the Cowboys after playing Origin midweek.
Manly has got six home games to go in the run home to the finals.
Their draw is a good one with the Titans, Bulldogs, Raiders, Dragons, Wests Tigers and Sharks in the next six weeks.
Round 21 at home is the 10-year anniversary of the Battle of Brookvale against Melbourne Storm. Their players are already talking about it.
But this story is more than just the extraordinary Trbojevic influence on the club and the competition.
The big sidebar is a wily 60-year-old coach who looked shot and so defeated after four rounds.
Now Dessie Hasler has triggered an extra year until the end of 2023, providing they do make the top eight come September, which now looks a formality.
Des Hasler has done an amazing job to turn the club’s fortunes around.
Chief executive Steve Humphreys can’t speak highly enough of Hasler’s coaching.
“We had high expectations but the first month was a shock to everyone,” he says.
“Questions got asked but Des remained confident that the talent and character would shine through. I remember him saying you don’t win premierships in March and April.
“He emphasised patience. He had belief. He worked hard and stuck with his beliefs and principles. I’d heard stories that Des doesn’t sleep and now I know it’s true.”
The fan backlash in those early weeks was as bitter and nasty as it gets.
Even club legend Peter Peters said they could win the wooden spoon for the first time in the club’s history.
“Some members chose not to renew at the time,” Humphreys said.
The good times are rolling out Brookvale way at the moment.
“There was no-one storming through the door throwing their membership cards at me, but we had lots of phone calls, a lot of emails with fans expressing their displeasure. That’s normal.
“You ride the rollercoaster and you encourage passion.
“Some were calling time on Des, some were criticising the players.
“We just chose to stick solid and stay strong. There’s a long way to go but we’re hopeful of being there for the big games at the end of the season.”
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