Latest news with #LehiHopoate
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Splat!': Tom Trbojevic cops a huge Wests Tigers hit in brutal act
Prior to Friday night's 18-point win over the Wests Tigers, Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic said he was 'excited' at the prospect of playing in the centres for just the second time since 2017. One of the great fullbacks in the modern game, 'Turbo' was shifted to right centre by Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold to allow Lehi Hopoate to move into the No. 1 jumper. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. While the home side got the job done 28-10 at 4 Pines Park, just 11 minutes in the 28-year-old Trbojevic may have been regretting the decision to be so accommodating. With Manly attacking the Tigers' line, Daly Cherry-Evans found Hopoate, who moved the ball to Trbojevic as the home team chased the game's first points. But Tigers winger Jeral Skelton had other ideas, lining Trbojevic up and landing a crunching tackle that brought everyone watching out of their seats. Watch the big hit in the video player above 'Oh Tom! Tom has caught a beauty there,' Andrew Voss screamed on Fox League. 'Jeral Skelton, he's knocked himself about but he's taken out the main man. Call him the sniper.' Cooper Cronk added: 'Skelton has launched himself into Tom Trbojevic, rattles the cage of the Manly centre. 'I think he's also rattled himself because he's come up ginger. That was a big shot.' Voss then followed up: 'It was Kamikaze-like. I don't know if I've seen Tom get hit like that in his career. 'Welcome to the centres Tom.' While a sore Trbojevic was able to battle on, Skelton did indeed come off second best, with the independent doctor calling for a category 2 Head Injury Assessment test. But plenty of footy fans took to social media to comment on the brutal hit. The NRL News account on X wrote: 'Jeral Skelton puts a bellringer on Tommy Turbo but he's the one that has to come off for a HIA.' Sports journalist Lachlan Jeffery tweeted: 'That was a Kamikaze tackle by Jeral Skelton.' Señor Mick offered simply: 'SPLAT!!!!' Others were left questioning the decision to shift the injury-prone Trbojevic from his favoured position. Racing reporter Neil Evans declared: 'What a ridiculous decision to play Turbo in the centres!! 'Give him some freedom' Spoonbold said thru the week .. ffs there's 10 times more freedom at the back. Lol.' X account @OGHustle_Rugby asked: 'You'd stick Turbo on the wing or FB wouldn't you?? Let's play Mr Injury in the centres. Nice one you knuckles.' In a poor first half of footy, the Sea Eagles finally cracked the Tigers' tryline in the final minute and Turbo was heavily involved. With all the play down the left side of the field, Manly was repeatedly repelled by Wests' defensive line. 'Tom's getting a cold out at right centre,' Voss quipped. 'He's watching on with binoculars.' On the last tackle, Trbojevic finally got his chance, taking a cut-out ball from Luke Brooks and laying off a superb flick pass to Jason Saab who did the rest, scoring in the corner. 'Tom offloads to Saab, finally Tom gets a touch, and it's a golden one for the first try in the final minute of the opening half,' Voss said. Reuben Garrick nailed the sideline conversion for a 6-0 lead at the break. Leading up to the game, Trbojevic conceded he had no idea whether his move to centre would be permanent. Trbojevic's yardage has been solid in recent weeks, but he'd broken just five tackles in his past six games leading into Friday night after busting 83 in 20 matches last season. 'I had a lot of input from the coaches, but we've got someone like Lehi there who's very good at fullback,' Trbojevic said on Monday. 'I'm not unfamiliar with playing centre, I've done it before. It'll be a different challenge for me and one I'm excited for. 'It (the move) wasn't really on my mind, but the way that Lehi has been playing (made it easier) and I haven't been playing my best footy. 'It is what it is. I just love playing footy, and playing centre is something else on a footy field and it's no different to me. I just have to go out there and give it a go.' He may have had second thoughts after Skelton's crunching tackle, but he ran out the half well and looms as a key figure in the second 40 minutes. Manly then took control of the match after halftime, building a 16-0 lead with 30 minutes remaining. Benji Marshall's Tigers briefly had some momentum after Alex Seyfarth's 51st minute try, but the Sea Eagles regained control to record a comfortable win.
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Pressure on Manly coach Anthony Seibold continues to mount after questionable calls
Under pressure Manly Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold is standing by his much criticised decision to move his star fullback into the centres. The injury prone Tom Trbojevic will line up against the Wests Tigers on Friday at 4 Pines Park in the no.4 jersey, relinquishing the no.1 spot to Lehi Hopoate in a move Seibold claims is 'not a punishment.' FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. 'I don't know what the take has been on it externally, but it's not a punishment,' Seibold said. 'It's around helping 'Turbo' find a little bit of confidence without worrying about the team. 'And I feel for Turbo, (it's about) going about himself and playing with a bit of flow and enjoying footy again and competing, without having the organisational skills, which he is unreal at. 'It's just about taking a little bit of pressure off him. And it's also about recognising and rewarding Lehi Hopoate.' Pressure has also been mounting on Seibold to drop the captaincy of the side from halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, whose decision to announce he won't be staying in Brookvale has coincided with his and the side's significant drop in form. The halfback has also been dropped by Queensland coach Billy Slater after the side's loss in the first game of State of Origin this year. The Manly side have also now lost three of their past four games and dropped out of the top eight, also placing intense scrutiny on Seibold, which has only intensified with this week's positional change. But one change Seibold won't make is a change of captains. 'Never, not once. I've never thought about that,' Seibold said. 'I don't see the need to change. Chez is our leader. I've said that publicly a number of times. So I'm not sure where that suggestion has come from.' Manly boss Tony Mestrov this week said 'Seibs is safe at this point' and had full support of the board in his decision making. But Fox Sports reporter Anthony Hooper has suggested the first move should be a stripping of the captaincy. 'Give it to Jakey Turbo – even if he's not the biggest fan of coach Anthony Seibold right now – because at least you know Trbojevic is always going to bleed maroon and white,' Hooper said. 'The way Manly's season spectacularly combusted against Newcastle and the Gold Coast Titans before a bye it's clear the playing group is no longer following DCE as a leader. 'They'll follow Jake. Which might explain why Manly coach Seibold asked Cherry-Evans last week if there was any chance of clearing the air around his playing future publicly.' Cherry Evans is rumoured to be on the way to the Sydney Roosters on a two year deal, which by the end will leave the premiership winner at the age of 38.
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Can't answer that question': Tom Trbojevic unsure whether centre switch is permanent
Sea Eagles superstar Tom Trbojevic has no idea whether his move to centre will be a permanent one or not with the former Dally M winner hinting that the call to move Lehi Hopoate to fullback came from the coaching staff and not from him. Hopoate will start at fullback on Friday night as the Sea Eagles look to get their season back on track at home against the Wests Tigers, with Trbojevic to play just his second club game at centre since the start of 2017. Trbojevic's yardage has been solid in recent weeks, but he's broken just five tackles in his past six games after busting 83 in 20 matches last season and hasn't been able to accelerate like he has in the past. Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold has made the call to move Hopoate to the back where he's excelled whenever he's had to fill in, with Trbojevic to move to right centre. The move comes a week after Seibold held meetings with every squad member, with several changes expected to be made to spark the team into life. 'I had a lot of input from the coaches, but we've got someone like Lehi there who's very good at fullback,' Trbojevic said on Monday as the club announced a new commercial partnership with Manly Fast Ferries. 'I'm not unfamiliar with playing centre, I've done it before. It'll be a different challenge for me and one I'm excited for. 'It (the move) wasn't really on my mind, but the way that Lehi has been playing (made it easier) and I haven't been playing my best footy. 'It is what it is. I just love playing footy, and playing centre is something else on a footy field and it's no different to me. I just have to go out there and give it a go.' Trbojevic is one of the best fullbacks of the modern era but has been plagued by injuries either side of his incredible 2021 season where he claimed the Dally M Medal. He's dealt with hamstring and knee injuries for the past few years, with a corked thigh keeping him out for a couple of weeks earlier this season before he returned in round 15. 'I actually feel really good,' he declared. 'It hasn't been the most consistent year for myself, missing a few games here and there with different injuries, but I came back from the recent one last weekend and I felt good out there. 'There was a cork issue there that was bleeding and causing a few issues. There wasn't any protection or anything like that (from the club to lie about it).' The move to centre has been mooted for a while, with plenty of former players encouraging him to shift to a position that will put less stress on his body. Trbojevic doesn't know whether or not his days at fullback are over, but he is excited to return to centre where he has carved up for Australia and NSW, including two hat-tricks for the Blues where he roamed on both sides of the field. 'I honestly can't answer that question and I don't need to because that's not really my focus long-term,' he replied when asked if the move is permanent, with 'Turbo' struggling in the role in his lone game there against the Cowboys last year. 'My focus is on this week and we've got to turn our form around against the Tigers. That's what my focus will be. 'It's a different look, a different way to play footy and a different challenge. There's more of a defensive aspect to it in the front line, but you can make it your own world as well. 'You can play differently, and that's what I enjoy about it. It's different (to fullback) because there's a lot more accel and decel work as a centre, and there are a lot more high-speed efforts at fullback. 'It's different, but it's one that I have to get used to.' Meanwhile, Trbojevic is in no rush to sign a new deal before November 1, with the local junior off contract at the end of 2026. He suggested in a recent interview that he'd rather move to England than have to play against Manly, and that stance hasn't changed. 'There's no expectation from me (to get it done soon),' he said. 'It's not even close to the forefront of my focus. I need to play some good footy for the club and get us back to where we need to be. 'I think I got asked something along the lines of whether I'd go to a different club than Manly, and I can say in front of you now that I wouldn't even consider it at the moment. 'I love playing for the club. I've got two brothers here that I play with as well that I wouldn't want to play against. 'I've got another year and a half here so it's not really a worry at all because I love playing for this club.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trbojevic centre move a short-term form fix
Manly plan to use Tom Trbojevic's centre shift as a short-term booster, with CEO Tony Mestrov revealing the Sea Eagles intend to move him back to fullback. Trbojevic trained at right centre for Manly on Monday morning, as part of a new-look backline that features Lehi Hopoate in the fullback role. Under pressure after two poor losses, coach Anthony Seibold has dropped Jason Saab and will move Reuben Garrick out to the right wing against Wests Tigers on Friday. Trbojevic conceded at a Manly Fast Ferry partnership announcement that his form had been down this year, with Hopoate impressing at No.1 while he was out injured. But Mestrov also said that the intention was for the 2021 Dally M Medallist to return to fullback, where he is one of the NRL's most dangerous players when fit. "We're just trying to get some hands on the ball for Tom and change it up a bit," Mestrov told AAP. "The idea is we just want him to regain his confidence and start playing again. "There is no doubt he is one of the best fullbacks in the world and we will see him go back there. "They say a change is as a good as a holiday. I think it's just to enact him, everyone knows what he can do. "I'm pretty excited to see what he can do (at centre) ... We've seen what he has done for Australia and NSW and what he can do. He will have the same roaming role." Trbojevic said in the pre-season he had given no thought to moving out of the No.1 jersey, having finished 2024 on a high. The 28-year-old said it had also not been on his mind in recent weeks before this week's move, after a year in which he has battled niggling injuries. "It (the move) wasn't really on my mind, but the way that Lehi has been playing (made it easier) and I haven't been playing my best footy," Trbojevic said. "I had a lot of input from the coaches, but we've got someone like Lehi there who's very good at fullback. "I'm not unfamiliar with playing centre, I've done it before." added Trbojevic. "It'll be a different challenge for me and one I'm excited for. "I just love playing footy, and playing centre is something else on a footy field and it's no different to me. I just have to go out there and give it a go." Trbojevic's move comes after Seibold held seven-minute meetings with all players last week, highlighting areas they needed to improve. Manly have a crucial fortnight ahead with home games against Wests Tigers and South Sydney after back-to-back losses to Newcastle and Gold Coast before a bye. Trbojevic's contract has also been a point of discussion, with the representative star reaffirming his stance on Monday that he never wants to play against Manly. The local junior is off contract at the end of next year, with Manly keen to extend him before he would be able to be approached by other clubs on November 1. Trbojevic has scored two hat-tricks when playing right centre for NSW, but has only played there once for Manly since 2017, on return from injury last year. "It's a different look, a different way to play footy and a different challenge," Trbojevic said. "There's more of a defensive aspect to it in the front line, but you can make it your own world as well. "You can play differently, and that's what I enjoy about it."
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Turbo's centre switch divides panel
RLG: Opinions are divided over rumours Tom Trbojevic will make the shift to the centres after numerous below-par performances at the back and a young Lehi Hopoate pushing for the number-one jersey.
