NRL news: Tom Trbojevic makes admission as superstar position change for Manly is confirmed

Tom Trbojevic has admitted he was “upset” by his last injury setback earlier this yearbut is looking forward to returning for Manly next week and switching from fullback to centre. The Sea Eagles announced on Saturday that Trbojevic will return to action for their clash with the Cowboys in round 18 – eight weeks after injuring his hamstring against the Dolphins.

But the club revealed that Trbojevic will play centre, instead of his usual position as fullback. The 27-year-old has had a string of injuries over the past three seasons and the move is aimed at keeping Trbojevic on the field longer in the hope he can recapture the form that won him the 2021 Dally M Medal.

Trbojevic has played most of his career as a fullback, but has represented Australia and NSW as a wing or centre. Playing in the front line means Trbojevic will have to make more tackles, but it should take some of the strain off his legs.

The Manly star has struggled with hamstring and hip problems in recent years, but has also dislocated his shoulder and torn his pectoral muscle. The Sea Eagles have the luxury of using Tolu Koula or Lehi Hopoate at wing-back, allowing Trbojevic to move more widely.

“It will be a different challenge, but one I’m excited about,” Trbojevic told the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday. “We have someone like Koula who can play fullback. It’s just good to change it up for a few weeks and see how it goes. The new position also keeps me mentally fresh.

“The last few weeks I’ve been running at full speed again. There have been no dramas. I don’t want to curse anything. I was quite upset by the last injury.

“I’m probably not in a position to demand what I can or cannot do. Defensively there is a little more contact in the centers, but offensively the positions are similar. I just want to start playing again. I will do what is best for the team.”

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Earlier this month, Manly coach Anthony Seibold spoke raised the possibility of moving Trbojevic to the centreSeibold said the club had gathered data that there was not much difference between playing wing-back and centre, but admitted the added rigours of playing No. 1 had taken its toll on Trbojevic.

“We’ve had a number of conversations around position,” the Manly coach said. “Rather than just thinking subjectively about the change of position, we’ve really looked at the GPS data objectively. What we wanted to see is what are the demands of a fullback and what are the demands of a centre?

“Honestly, from a data point of view, there’s not a whole lot of difference. There’s a little bit more change of pace as a wing-back, but there’s a lot more contact when you play centrally. There are a number of things we have to think about and we have a few weeks before we have to make that decision.”

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