NRL 2022: Jake Trbojevic shines as Manly Sea Eagles thrash New Zealand Warriors 44-12
Jake Trbojevic shook off the disappointment of missing out on the Blues squad for Origin I by producing his best performance of the season as the Sea Eagles belted the woeful Warriors.
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Jake Trbojevic and Haumole Olakau’atu sent a not-so-subtle message to Blues coach Brad Fittler that they should remain on his radar for the rest of the series as the Sea Eagles embarrassed the woeful Warriors 44-12 on Saturday night.
A week after he found out that he wasn’t in the NSW squad, Trbojevic – often the heart and soul of the team – produced his best 80 minutes of the season as he and his teammates toyed with a defence that didn’t want to be at 4 Pines Park.
The stand-in skipper was outstanding in the middle, constantly putting his big forwards into half gaps with soft hands while he also ran with more gusto than we have seen from him in 2022.
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“Jake does that every week. Tonight was no different,” Manly coach Des Hasler said.
“He’s the consummate team player and any rugby league player will tell you that. He was terrific tonight.”
Trbojevic said he was disappointed to miss out on the 22-man squad for the series opener on Wednesday, but was determined to not let it affect him.
“It was a silver lining because I got to captain the club at home, which was really pleasing being a local junior,” the lock said.
In typical Trbojevic fashion, he prefers to be grateful for the time he had as a NSW player instead of being bitter at losing his spot.
“It is what it is,” he said. “I have been lucky enough to have five years in the side. Not many people get to do that. I take a lot of satisfaction out of that and a lot of good times. That’s the way it is. It’s disappointing. I’m just grateful to captain my club.
“I haven’t (spoken to coach Brad Fittler) too much. I know how busy Origin is. I understand (what’s happened), I’m not stupid. There are a lot of good players there.
“I’m just grateful for the time I’ve had. I had some of the best moments in my rugby league career. If my time is up, it’s been nice.”
Trbokevic wasn’t the only NSW hopeful who put his hand up for selection later in the series.
Olakau’atu has had a terrific season on the right edge but you’d struggle to find a better game from him in a Manly jersey.
He crashed over for his side’s second try of the night with a trademark carry close to the ruck, ran for a whopping 144 metres, busted tackles at will and terrorised Chanel Harris-Tavita and Marcelo Montoya whenever they went near him.
“He’s got a bit go to, but he was a handful tonight,” Trbojevic said.
This was the game the Sea Eagles needed after three-straight losses, and it would’ve been particularly pleasing for their fans considering they were without superstars Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic.
SOFT AS BUTTER
A disastrous season has just hit rock bottom for the Warriors.
They conceded 70 points to the Storm on Anzac Day but their first half was somehow worse and has heaped even more pressure on coach Nathan Brown, whose future must now be in some doubt.
Some of the tries they conceded on Saturday night weren’t of an NRL standard. Prop Toff Sipley opened the scoring from dummy-half but that wasn’t the worst of it.
One play after Bunty Afoa was sent to the sin bin for what should have been a penalty try to Reuben Garrick, Martin Taupau crashed through for the softest try of the season from what was supposed to be a settler.
It looked like he grounded the ball well short but the Bunker didn’t have the evidence to overturn the on-field decision. It summed up the night for the Warriors who only fired up on the stroke of half-time when Reece Walsh was belted as the siren sounded.
They were able to score a couple of tries in the second half but there must be concerns over Shaun Johnson who has lost all his spark in attack.
“Our first half was obviously horrible. I can’t offer any excuses,” Brown said. “It’s definitely a disappointing one. We can’t hide our disappointment at all.”
Brown was also pressed on whether he thought his coaching future was in trouble.
“I’ve been coaching a long time now so I don’t coach on fear,” he said after the club’s seventh loss in eight games.
“All we can do is keep creating the best that we can to do what we feel is right. I’ve been around too long to worry about all that other stuff. I’ve had a long run in these chairs so you keep doing what you think is right, and if you think it’s right then you’ve got to stick with it.”
INJURY BLOW
Karl Lawton is expected to miss the rest of the season, with fears he ruptured his ACL in the final minutes of the game.
Lawton was making his return from a lengthy ban for the Sea Eagles against the Warriors.
The initial thoughts are the utility forward has suffered the serious knee injury, which would sideline him for the rest of the year.
ALL NIGHT LONG
You’ve got to tip your hat to Morgan Harper for not kicking stones after his horror night marking Siosifa Talakai a few weeks ago.
The Sea Eagles centre was hooked at half-time after he was beaten time and time again by Cronulla’s nuggety tank, but Harper has returned a different player.
The Lionel Richie look-alike produced one of the try-savers of the season when he somehow held Jack Murchie up over the line and then capped off a super Saturday when he broke through to set up Reuben Garrick for the sealer.
Meet the man in Manly’s hot seat
-Dean Ritchie
This is the man stepping into Manly’s hot seat – and he’s pumped for the challenge.
Former Manly prop Tony Mestrov has spoken for the first time about his new role as Sea Eagles chief executive, admitting he had “no problem” with the club’s excessive turnover of CEO’s while promising a “one-in, all-in” approach at Brookvale.
Mestrov, 52, will formally become Manly’s top administrator on August 1, having completed five years as CEO of Greyhounds NSW, while previously being Gold Coast Titans chief operating officer and Hockey NSW’s CEO.
He replaced Stephen Humphreys, who stepped down in April, and has become the club’s 14th CEO since 2000.
Asked whether he had concerns about the club’s constant rotation of CEO’s, Mestrov said: “None. I’m serious. I had no problem with it. I knew about it.
“I had a discussion with Scott (Penn, club chairman) and I did pose some questions and was really happy with the answers I got.
“I’ve got no reservations. I know what is required at the club, put it that way.
“We all know what has happened in the past at Manly. I understand the culture and success but I also understand where the club has been over the last 10 years from a CEO point of view.
“Whatever has happened in the past is in the past, mate. It’s all about the future.
“The board is settled and they want success. In our discussions, the board, the process, it couldn’t have been better. We were all on the same page.
“Part of the early discussions about coming here was that I understand the culture and I understand the DNA. We will have honest conversations and I will back people.
“I also understand the people and there are some big personalities (at the club) but I understand them and I think that’s really important. That passion is important.
“As much as I’m proud to be CEO at the Sea Eagles, I understand the work required. I’m not emotional about it. I’ve got a job to do, particularly from the business and commercial side.”
Mestrov comes with a stellar reputation as administrator and powerbroker.
He has built and nurtured a vast array of heavy-hitting contacts throughout the Government and corporate world and is expected to make an immediate impact at Manly.
Penn said Mestrov was “firmly in the picture for the Sea Eagles CEO position five years ago prior to him accepting the Greyhounds role and we will now be the beneficiaries from his experience there”.
A tenacious and fearless front-rower, Mestrov played 17 games for Manly between 1990 and 1992. He lives on Sydney’s northern beaches and attended St Augustine’s College, located across the road from 4 Pines Park.
“The first thing is to create a team environment among staff, football staff and players – we are all in this together. I think that’s really important,” he said.
“I want everyone all-in, everyone is in to get success and if we don’t do that, we’re not going to be successful. My first job will be a team culture for everyone and stability in leadership.
“I say to Manly fans that the club has a bright future. We’ve just seen the Centre of Excellence open (at Brookvale). We are talking about an upgrade to the ground and with our football team, we have a platform for the future. And it’s only going to get better.”
And the much-needed and promised redevelopment of 4 Pines Park is a priority for Mestrov.
“When I get my feet under the desk, it is widely known that I’ve got strong Government contacts,” he said. “I have worked with the Government for the last five years and that’s something the owners and board want to pursue and I will be pursuing that.
“Everyone knows 4 Pines Park needs to be developed from a fan base — along with a sponsorship and commercial point of view — and the football team. We need that to happen and I will be using my contacts to assist the NRL in making it happen.”
Manly finished top four last year but have struggled for consistency this season, particularly after the season-ending shoulder injury to star fullback, Tom Trbojevic.
“We have a fantastic platform for the future,” Mestrov said. “We have a great coach here in Des Hasler and I want to support Des as much as I can. He is a Manly legend.
“It’s important everyone is working in the one direction.
“We’ve got some young kids (coming through) and a great team. It’s just about giving support around that structure to make it even better.
“I want to thank Scott Penn and the board. We were exactly on the same page in every thought, and that was part of the reason I did take the job. That was really important.
“And the big thing that Scott and the board spoke about – we have a great platform for the future, we really have.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the feedback. All the fans have been positive. We just want to keep moving forward and ask every day: ‘How can we be better?’ That’s what it’s about.”
Penn this week spoke glowingly of Mestrov.
“Tony is one of the strongest sports administrators in the country having been the CEO of Greyhounds NSW for the past five years,’’ Penn said.
“One of his hugely successful projects at Greyhounds NSW was the establishment of the Million Dollar Chase. It is this type of innovation that will benefit both the Sea Eagles and the broader game of rugby league as we look at expanding our footprint both here and overseas.
“As a past Manly player and long-term northern beaches resident, Tony deeply understands the unique DNA of the Sea Eagles and our local community.
“Being an experienced sports administrator, he also understands what is required to manage multiple stakeholders in a highly scrutinised environment.”
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