Tom Trbojevic to seek expert help for hamstring problems
Having broken down twice already this season with hamstring injuries, star Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic will visit exercise physiologists to get to the bottom of his physical concerns.
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Concerned Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic will visit exercise physiologists to determine why he has broken down twice this season with hamstring injuries.
“There must be something wrong with the way I am moving,” Trbojevic said. “I have to get to the bottom of it.”
Trbojevic collapsed to the Brookvale Oval turf last weekend against Souths and will be sidelined for between six to nine weeks.
The injury came two months after he initially hurt a hamstring in a pre-season trial against Cronulla.
Trbojevic is “worried” about two similar yet unrelated hamstring injuries.
“There has to be a reason why,” he said. “After one injury, you don’t really question it, but it has happened again you have to work out why.
“There could be many reasons making it occur, so you want to get to the bottom of it and that’s what we’ll do. For it to go again, it’s a bit worrying.
“There are experts, specialists and doctors that have done a lot of research. There are specialists in this area that have dealt with similar injuries.
“There must be something wrong with the way I am moving. I have to get to the bottom of it.”
Trbojevic will consider seeing physios who specialise in hamstrings, exercise physiologists, a sport and exercise scientist, and strength and conditioning coaches.
“You don’t want to just leave it to happen again in 10 weeks when I’m back playing footy,” he said. “I will seek out some advice and it (recovery) could be something left-field.
“After coming back from the first injury, I felt really confident with it. I had no issues and was really happy with how it went. The rehab staff at Manly did a really good job.”
The second injury has shattered Trbejovic, particularly after he inspired Manly to successive wins.
“It’s a tough one, it’s a shame,” he said. “I love playing footy and it’s disappointing I will miss some weeks.
“It’s the same leg but a different spot. It is nothing to do with coming back early or the rehab I did previously.”
Leading physio Brien Seeney, who is well known for his social media posts about injured NRL players. offered his thoughts on Trbojevic’s injury.
“The biggest predictor for hamstring injury is prior hamstring injury,” Seeney said.
“In other words, if you’ve had a hamstring injury in the past, you’re more likely to have one in the future, whether that is in the same spot or a different spot.
“In terms of notifiable risk factors, the biggest ones are shortened hamstrings, tighter hamstrings and weakness of the hamstrings when in an elongated state.
“When the hamstring is longer or put in a stretched position, is it weak in that state?
“Things like fatigue, strength imbalance, that can come into it, too.”
Asked how Trbojevic could prevent further hamstring injuries, Seeney said: “They want player hamstrings to be long and strong.
“What that means is when hamstring injuries occur, when the muscle is required to work heavily at a lengthened state, a player with a hamstring that is long and strong, they seem to be the best chance of avoiding these hamstring injuries.
“It would be a specific rehab he would have to undertake to try and strengthen the hamstring at that elongated position.”
Originally published as Tom Trbojevic to seek expert help for hamstring problems
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