LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Manly coach Anthony Seibold has disclosed that Tom Trbojevic has been struggling with a "really bad" cork in his quad, which has impacted his performance in recent weeks.
This injury likely contributed to Trbojevic's exclusion from the New South Wales State of Origin 1 team, as coach Laurie Daley deemed him not fit enough for selection.
Daley noted it was too risky to include an underperforming Trbojevic, especially after the player had not suited up for an Origin match since 2023.
Trbojevic has had a rough season, having already missed games due to hamstring and knee injuries.
He was sidelined for Round 3 due to a hamstring issue and suffered an MCL sprain in Round 4, which forced him to sit out for three weeks.
He made a return in Round 8 against the Panthers but has struggled to regain his top form.
While Daley opted for players like Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Latrell Mitchell, and Zac Lomax, many fans believed Trbojevic could have filled a spot in the Blues' backline.
Seibold dismissed Daley's assertion about Trbojevic's overall fitness but confirmed the impact of the cork: "Obviously Turbo had the MCL injury earlier in the year, and then his first game back against Penrith a couple of weeks ago he had a really bad cork to his quad.
That hampered him over the bye week, and against the Sharks (in Round 10)."
Trbojevic's current condition suggests he is not yet at his peak performance level, raising questions about his readiness for both club and national duties.