Turbo back.. at centre

[Pepi]

Turbo back against cowboys.
Wonder who gets dropped? Don't think Talau should miss out.

 

[stoodamire]

So many questions.

Will he be left or right centre.

who plays FB?

Reubs, Lehi or Tolu?

 

[The Wheel]

Tom Trbojevic to return at centre for Cowboys clash

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles player Tom Trbojevic has completed his reconditioning work from a hamstring injury.

www.seaeagles.com.au

 

[Will on the hill]

Turbo back against cowboys.
Wonder who gets dropped? Don't think Talau should miss out.

I reckon at least temporarily Koula will get some time off to rest his AC joint injury.

 

[davohan123]

Tom Trbojevic to return at centre for Cowboys clash

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles player Tom Trbojevic has completed his reconditioning work from a hamstring injury.

www.seaeagles.com.au

 

[Will on the hill]

So many questions.

Will he be left or right centre.

who plays FB?

Reubs, Lehi or Tolu?

Left centre with Lehi at FB would be my guess.

 

[ManlyGM]

Look I get moving Turbo to centre but he's our best player, surely u want him touching the ball as much as possible instead of him camped out on one edge.

Sure we have plenty of options to go to at fullback with Lehi, Koula and Garrick but are we a better side for it? Kind of feels like Seibold is throwing stuff and the wall and hoping it sticks.

Maybe it does but i’m a little sceptical having our best player camped out one side in the centres and if it limits his true impact he can have on the game.

 

[SeaEagleSI1]

Hopoate might be unlucky

01.Tolutau Koula
02.Jason Saab
03.Tommy Talau
04.Tom Trbojevic
05.Reuben Garrick
06.Luke Brooks
07.Daly Cherry-Evans (C)
08.Toafofoa Sipley
09.Lachlan Croker
10.Josh Aloiai
11.Haumole Olakau'atu
12.Ben Trbojevic
13.Jake Trbojevic

14.Jake Simpkin
15.Karl Lawton/Corey Waddell
16.Ethan Bullemor
17.Nathan Brown

Or

01.Reuben Garrick
02.Jason Saab
03.Tolutau Koula
04.Tom Trbojevic
05.Tommy Talau
06.Luke Brooks
07.Daly Cherry-Evans (C)
08.Toafofoa Sipley
09.Lachlan Croker
10.Josh Aloiai
11.Haumole Olakau'atu
12.Ben Trbojevic
13.Jake Trbojevic

14.Jake Simpkin
15.Karl Lawton/Corey Waddell
16.Ethan Bullemor
17.Nathan Brown

 

[Bomb Voyage]

Look I get moving Turbo to centre but he's our best player, surely u want him touching the ball as much as possible instead of him camped out on one edge.

Sure we have plenty of options to go to at fullback with Lehi, Koula and Garrick but are we a better side for it? Kind of feels like Seibold is throwing stuff and the wall and hoping it sticks.

Maybe it does but i’m a little sceptical having our best player camped out one side in the centres and if it limits his true impact he can have on the game.

hes not our best player

 

[Phobia]

Hopoate might be unlucky

01.Tolutau Koula
02.Jason Saab
03.Tommy Talau
04.Tom Trbojevic
05.Reuben Garrick
06.Luke Brooks
07.Daly Cherry-Evans (C)
08.Toafofoa Sipley
09.Lachlan Croker
10.Josh Aloiai
11.Haumole Olakau'atu
12.Ben Trbojevic
13.Jake Trbojevic

14.Jake Simpkin
15.Karl Lawton/Corey Waddell
16.Ethan Bullemor
17.Nathan Brown

Or

01.Reuben Garrick
02.Jason Saab
03.Tolutau Koula
04.Tom Trbojevic
05.Tommy Talau
06.Luke Brooks
07.Daly Cherry-Evans (C)
08.Toafofoa Sipley
09.Lachlan Croker
10.Josh Aloiai
11.Haumole Olakau'atu
12.Ben Trbojevic
13.Jake Trbojevic

14.Jake Simpkin
15.Karl Lawton/Corey Waddell
16.Ethan Bullemor
17.Nathan Brown

Koula and Garrick are definitely behind Hopoate for the No.1 jersey.

I'd like it to be:

1. Hoppa
2. Saab
3. Talau (left)
4. Turbo (right)
5. Garrick

But it's probably going to be

1. Hoppa
2. Saab
3. Koula
4. Turbo
5. Garrick

I actually don't know how this move could not result in Garrick going to the wing, as I doubt they would drop him. He's a good footballer, used to be a good kicker until something rattled him in the past month, his defensive reads at centre are his only problem. He's been playing well in every other metric.

The chaos move would be putting Koula on the wing and keeping Garrick at centre. That would be absolutely cooked.

 

[ManlyGM]

Koula and Garrick are definitely behind Hopoate for the No.1 jersey.

I'd like it to be:

1. Hoppa
2. Saab
3. Talau (left)
4. Turbo (right)
5. Garrick

But it's probably going to be

1. Hoppa
2. Saab
3. Koula
4. Turbo
5. Garrick

I actually don't know how this move could not result in Garrick going to the wing, as I doubt they would drop him. He's a good footballer, used to be a good kicker until something rattled him in the past month, his defensive reads at centre are his only problem. He's been playing well in every other metric.

The chaos move would be putting Koula on the wing and keeping Garrick at centre. That would be absolutely cooked.

Hopoate has been good no doubt but out of anyone on the team outside of Turbo I feel Koula has the most upside at fullback. His speed and acceleration can be a real difference maker back there. As good as Lehi has been just don’t see the same athleticism.

But its a good problem to have at the end of the day. Lehi, Koula or Garrick would all be good options.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

I doubt any round will see all of these Manly backs available at the one time anyway. So that should solve any selection headache.

Anyway surely this is the end of Garrick in the centres. He has to go to the wing. The experiment is over, whether its in his contract or not.

 

[Carl]

It has to be lehi at fb.

I don't think they put turbo at centre then demote the guy who's been playing fb and put someone else there.

 

[Dion Johnson]

Turbo in the centres, is this a reflection of how good Hoppa has been at the back in reading the play and his ability to be there in defence?

Or protecting Turbo? If there is not much difference in the data like they have stated with the positions.

Someone is going to be unlucky in missing out, I think it will be Talau, if so Garrick and Saab can consider themselves lucky based on current form.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

Turbo got injured last year playing in the centres for NSW.

On the other hand, all of these highlights were not Tom as a fullback.

 

[Carl]

Yeah, I don't think it's as much about protecting turbo as making it possible to keep lehi in the team.

 

[Dion Johnson]

‘I was pretty rattled by the last injury’: Trbojevic accepts shift to centres for Manly return​

Manly star Tom Trbojevic will revert to the centres after joining his teammates on the training paddock on Saturday for the first time before next weekend’s return from a hamstring injury.

Trbojevic was a shattered man when he hobbled off the field at Suncorp Stadium against the Dolphins in round 10.

He injured his hamstring as he tried to save a try before colliding with a TV cameraman.

The latest injury, he said, “really rattled me”.

Trbojevic said he had been running at full speed for the past couple of weeks and would have rejoined teammates earlier had they not been given some days off during a bye round.

Manly coach Anthony Seibold confirmed on Saturday that Trbojevic would return against the Cowboys in Townsville at centre – not fullback – in a move designed to safeguard his fragile body. The switch has been made easier by Tolu Koula being ready to wear the No.1 jersey.

Trbojevic struggled with shoulder and hamstring issues in 2022 and 2023 and was banking on a big campaign this season before the setback.

Such is Trbojevic’s importance to Manly, since the start of the 2019 season the club has won 63 per cent of its games with their highest-paid player, and 34 per cent without him.

Trbojevic averages 17 runs for more than 160 metres in the fullback position.

But he is no stranger to centre, starting there four times in 2016. He also won the 2021 Origin series at right centre for NSW.

Trbojevic said he would never second guess Seibold’s decision, and only wanted what was best for the club.

I’ve been back running at full speed the past couple of weeks. There have been no dramas.

“I don’t want to jinx anything. I was pretty rattled by the last injury.

“I’m probably not in the position to demand what I can or can’t do. There’s a bit more work defensively in the centres, but attacking wise, the positions are similar.

“I’ve played centre before; I’ve played Origin there. I just want to get back playing. I’ll do what’s best for the team.”

The Sea Eagles play the Cowboys in Townsville next weekend, but Trbojevic said the long flight would have little affect on his hamstring.

“It looks like I’ll be good to go for next Saturday,” Trbojevic said.

Seibold told Channel Nine this month the club had studied GPS data to help with the positional decision for Trbojevic, saying: “To be frank, from a data point of view, there’s not a whole heap of difference.”

On Saturday afternoon, Manly confirmed via a press release Trbojevic would be in the centres.

 

[Will on the hill]

Hopoate has been good no doubt but out of anyone on the team outside of Turbo I feel Koula has the most upside at fullback. His speed and acceleration can be a real difference maker back there. As good as Lehi has been just don’t see the same athleticism.

But its a good problem to have at the end of the day. Lehi, Koula or Garrick would all be good options.

In attack I think Koula edges it over Lehi but in defence Koula struggled a bit with his positioning while Lehi has been fantastic in that department. Seibs has also commended Lehi for his communication and organisation of the defence. If Seibs preferred Koula at FB he would've played him there while Tom was out and put Talau at centre.

 

[ManlyGM]

In attack I think Koula edges it over Lehi but in defence Koula struggled a bit with his positioning while Lehi has been fantastic in that department. Seibs has also commended Lehi for his communication and organisation of the defence. If Seibs preferred Koula at FB he would've played him there while Tom was out and put Talau at centre.

Both have there pros and cons, i’d just personally have Koula back there. What Seibs will do is a different convo, which I agree with you will probably be Lehi. His maturity for a rookie has been impressive as, especially in defense.

 

[Disco]

hes not our best player

Strongly disagree.

He may not be our form player but he is our best player.