Is Turbo rocks and diamonds

I believe that Tom needs to time his injection into the game a little better. IMO he needs to play more direct and stop sliding across field with ball in hand which has been a growing problem in DCE's game. I am surprised that he struggles with his positional play in defence and that the coaching staff haven't worked on that part of his game. If they have been working on it then there is more work to be done. This young man is special and I want him playing for Manly for life in whatever position serves our side best. At present there is no one close to his level and he is my first choice at fullback.
 
I don’t want to get into a big debate with @Fluffy, and at the risk of going out on a limb here, I personally think Lyon was a much better player for Manly than Alberts...

Best you take it into context though, my argument was we needed a 5/8 and the money should be spent there not for another centre at the time. Took a few years before the coaches worked it out - Harris, Bailey, Mullane anyone? In the end it wasn't until we got Lyon to 5/8 that we started competing for the title.
 
From the SMH (maybe Barrett is telling his players not to do the dumb stuff if this is anything to go by)

"
Forward thinking almost costs Tommy Turbo his spot

Mark this one down in the ‘you had one job’ department. When Brad Fittler caught up with Tom Trbojevic recently to discuss his Origin prospects, there was only one message. It’s fair to say, it didn’t sink in.

“I caught up with Freddy about three weeks ago and he made one point to me that he was going to stress throughout the whole camp,” Trbojevic explained. “He goes: ‘I just hate forward passes, they can’t happen in our game. You’ve got to cut them out of your game or you’re not going to win.’ Little do you know, the next week I threw two of them.”

Fittler at that stage had Trbojevic pencilled in as his fullback ahead of James Tedesco. But after watching ‘Tommy Turbo’ blatantly disregard the edict, he almost punted him from the side altogether.

“He went from fullback to gone,” Fittler said. “He just got back in. I couldn’t believe he threw two forward passes. Literally three days after our lunch, he threw two forward. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to neck him. Obviously he didn’t understand the message. I couldn’t have been franker – I hate forward passes. Don’t throw them. Stop it.”
 
The only ball player better then Tom is Slater and he is the greatest fullback of all time but I'd argue Tom has more passing selections. And he does straighten e.g Thompson try, kelly try.
Sorry mate not picking on ya but I'd say boyd, Coote and ponga are better ball players
 
I can't ever remember a season where I was underwhelmed with Brett Stewart's performances except for 2016. He had a phenomenal career and I feel lucky to have watched it all.

I just had a look back at 2004 just now. That Manly side scored scored 615 points, conceded 754 points and had a win-loss record of 9-15. Here's an anomaly though - the team won 8 from 16 matches when Snake was the starting fullback. Snake missed all but one of the matches during a 6 match losing streak early in the season. In the match that he was picked, he was selected on the bench. We lost 4 of those 6 matches by 8 points or less when we were playing Walker at fullback and Mullane at 5/8. He also didn't play when Penrith touched us up 72-12. We only ended up missing the finals by 2 wins and a bad points differential that year which makes me wonder what could have been for that season if he wasn't missing for the first quarter of the season.

This is not Tom's fault but I think some people are guilty of placing too much expectation on him. I don't expect him to ever be as good as Snake at fullback and there's nothing wrong with that. He will still be a superstar if he knuckles down.
 
Brett Stewart was the best fullback in the NRL at age 21
The Snake was brilliant and what made him great at a very young age .was that he was brilliantly consistent .
imagesUFA8ZRG2.jpg
 
Those querying whether Turbo is worth the 800k of his current contract keep in mind that is roughly what the likes of Josh Dugan, Jack Whighton, Moses Mbye, Darius Boyd are all contracted on.

I certainly know who I’d have have filling the FB slot at our club.
 
MANLY star Tom Trbojevic was a must-pick in many people’s NSW team but coach Brad Fittler has revealed that the fullback has one habit that drives him crazy.
Trbojevic is the prototype of the modern No.1, often stepping into the line to create overlaps before creating for his outside men by throwing short and long passes.

It’s a part of the 21-year-old’s game that is vital to the Sea Eagles’ attack, creating plenty of points for the struggling side but there are still times when he gets it badly wrong.

When he gets his timing off he has a habit of getting pinged for forward passes and it’s one aspect of his game new Blues coach Fittler just can’t cop.

“I sat down with them (Trbojevic brothers Jake and Tom) a couple of weeks ago and I sort of assured them, I said ‘look, I want you in the team’,” Fittler told Triple M’s The Grill Team.

“I was sitting there talking to [Tom] and I said ‘mate, the one thing I can’t cop in your game is how many forward passes you throw, what’s with it?’.

“It’s a real irk of mine, how many forward passes you throw. I reckon I went through my career and didn’t throw one.”

It’s a lesson that you would expect a young player on the cusp of his first Origin call up to take on board, but infuriatingly for Fittler the message didn’t seem to sink in.

“So anyway, they played that week and he threw two (forward passes)! I was just ready to punch him in the head.”

Which could be the reason Fittler’s sticking him out on the wing where his passing game will be secondary to tough carries early in the set and finishing backline plays.

Fox Sports News
 
We will have to stop comparing Tom to Snake.

I never saw Wombat play but I’ve seen Jack, Belcher, Brasher, Ridge, ET, and Slater.

I would have Snake and Slater at the top of that list as the best ever. It’s unfair to the poor kid to compare him with Snake. Snake was simply awesome.

Tom does have a lot of errors in his game, and as pointed out the other fullbacks have just as many errors also. I think the difference is the timing of some of Toms mistakes.

I find a lot of the kids that were dominant in the juniors play 1st grade as if they were playing under 20s still. It’s great to watch and attcking play is magical but defensively it’s heart stopping.

He’ll get better and better and I think the comparisons to Inglis will be spot on in a few years.
 
We will have to stop comparing Tom to Snake.

I never saw Wombat play but I’ve seen Jack, Belcher, Brasher, Ridge, ET, and Slater.

I would have Snake and Slater at the top of that list as the best ever. It’s unfair to the poor kid to compare him with Snake. Snake was simply awesome.

Tom does have a lot of errors in his game, and as pointed out the other fullbacks have just as many errors also. I think the difference is the timing of some of Toms mistakes.

I find a lot of the kids that were dominant in the juniors play 1st grade as if they were playing under 20s still. It’s great to watch and attcking play is magical but defensively it’s heart stopping.

He’ll get better and better and I think the comparisons to Inglis will be spot on in a few years.
It is impossible to compare Turbo with either Snake or Wombat as all three are very different players.I am sure when retirement beckons Tom, he will have carved his name in our top Fullbacks of all time.
 
Better fullbacks no. Better ball players yes. Tom is a running fullback. Tom has work to do with his passing game and setting up outside players in good positions rather than over running their lines.
Lol you can keep telling yourself that stuff but it doesnt make it true. Hahaha
 
Tom is a super talented ball runner with a decent pass on him but makes bad decisions at times re his passing.Some of his flick on passes at big moments in games this year have been so frustrating. He will get better no doubt but Boyd ( before his hamstring ) was a class above as a ball player but he’s had a decade to work on it.

Toms big problem is his body language and frustration under pressure( as is Jakes) One mistakes yields more mistakes. Talent will never be his issue. It’s the mental side that will decide his place in the pantheon of Manly fullbacks.
 
Lol you can keep telling yourself that stuff but it doesnt make it true. Hahaha
Dear Turbo
Right back at you. You have no idea.

Kind regards,
From Mr I can see things coz my head isn’t shoved up certain players backsides.

P.s
I was just wondering if the real turbo asked u on a date... would u put out??
 
Last edited:
Dear Turbo
Right back at you. You have no idea.

Kind regards,
From Mr I can see things coz my head isn’t shoved up certain players backsides.

P.s
I was just wondering if the real turbo asked u on a date... would u put out??
Looks like you don't like being proved wrong. Seeing as Coote is struggling to get a game for the boys and Boyd is playing like crap I think your incorrect. Tom is a much better ball player.
 
Without Jake and Turbo we have no soul and float along like a rudderless sea vessel. Tonight should show everyone how valuable young Turbo is. Already played for his country and about to debut for his state. Awesome talent and we’d be completely farmed without him.
 

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