Sport Confidential: Young gun forward Jake Trbojevic wants to captain Manly

SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: Not satisfied with his impending Test debut, Jake Trbojevic has put his hand up to captain Manly following the retirement of Jamie Lyon.

NOT satisfied with his impending Test debut, Jake Trbojevic has put his hand up to captain Manly following the retirement of Jamie Lyon.

Trbojevic is only 22 but that has not halted his ambition to lead the club immediately.

He had a taste of the ­captaincy this year in Lyon’s absence and Brett Stewart’s ongoing injury woes, sharing the role with Jamie Buhrer.

Now that Buhrer has joined the Knights and there are question marks on ­Stewart’s return, Trbojevic is in line, along with the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans, to assume the captaincy on a ­fulltime basis.

ADVANTAGE: Roos get edge from hi-tech sweat system

Jake Trbojevic wants to lead the Sea Eagles.

“I got my opportunity to do it a couple of times this year,” Trbojevic said.

“I was nervous, being a bit younger and it wasn’t something I had done too much of. I really enjoyed doing it and loved captaining Manly. Hopefully I can do it next year. It’s something I want to do, especially being a local (Manly junior). It’s only early in my career so I don’t know.”

Meanwhile, Trbojevic’s parents Melissa and John have made a dash to England in time to watch Jake’s debut against Scotland on Saturday morning.

“Mum and Dad will come for sure,” Trbojevic said.

TIM ROO-MOUR

FORMER Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens is expected to be an interested observer in the crowd when Australia face Scotland. The match will be played at the home of Sheens’ new club, Hull KR.

PODCAST: Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga sits down with The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis to discuss Australia’s Four Nations preparations.

NO HARD FEELINGS

ENGLAND captain Sam Burgess was happy to share a laugh with Australian counterpart Cam Smith this week, but maybe he was just glad to be out of his hotel room for a few hours.

Burgess is rooming with James Graham, the man he beat to the England captaincy.

Graham, who smashed Burgess’s cheekbone at the start of the 2014 grand final, was also placed on report last month for kicking out at Burgess. But the big Canterbury prop yesterday insisted he gets on fine with the Rabbitohs star.

James Graham and Sam Burgess after the final siren in the 2014 NRL Grand Final. Picture Gregg Porteous

“Me and Sam have been roommates on and off with England for the last seven years and are again here at the Four Nations,” Graham said.

“People can think and write what they like, but once the game is over it’s all forgotten.‘’

NET NUPTIALS FOR MERRIN

TRENT Merrin still managed to make an appearance at his brother’s wedding despite skipping best man duties to play for the Kangaroos in their one-off Test against New Zealand.

Merrin “attended” the ceremony via Skype, making sure he did not miss the moment his brother was married.

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SPEAKING of newlyweds, Kangaroos players Josh Mansour and Aaron Woods have had to delay their respective honeymoons to play in the Four Nations.

Woods has left the organisation of his honeymoon with wife Sarah, who will join him in England before the final.

Aaron Woods with his wife Sarah. Picture: Gregg Porteous

They will then spend some time in Europe before Woods has to return to Sydney for pre-season training.

“The missus is going to come over for the last week,” Woods said.

“We are going to travel afterwards. The Tigers and the Aussie team were nice enough to let us book a flight a couple of weeks after (the tournament). We’ll do a bit of travel. We haven’t booked anything yet. We’ll just go with the flow. That’s how we roll.

“Whatever she wants, I’m not the ­biggest traveller.

“After she let me come away and play footy, she can pick the holiday.”

Mansour is not sure about his plans after the Four Nations.

MANSOUR WHISKERS WILL BE BACK

AS you can see below, Josh Mansour sported a fresh face when he made his debut for Australia in the 2014 Four Nations.

Josh Mansour during the Four Nations in 2014.

The Penrith winger shaved his trademark beard off to mark the occasion, but don’t expect him to have a clean look when he returns to the Kangaroos side on Saturday morning.

“I got fed-up with it and didn’t want to look too grizzly in the photos for my first time wearing the jumper,” Mansour said. “It is sticking around. I can’t get rid of it now.”

A SIGN OF THE TIMES

THIS is a warning sign near one of the many pitches at the Kangaroos’ $170 million St George’s Park training base. Home to England’s national sides, the rules regarding entry on to the fields are pretty strict to say the least. Officials had to bring in makeshift goalposts in order to hosts the Kangaroos, who have been positioned on the last field.

Warning on the pitches at St George’s Park.

Originally published as Sport Confidential: Young gun forward Jake Trbojevic wants to captain Manly