Tom Trbojevic is a footy freak from ‘another planet’

NSW machine Tom Trbojevic is pushing to become the best player in rugby league right now after demolishing Queensland in Origin I.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 09: Tom Trbojevic of the Blues scores a try during game one of the 2021 State of Origin series between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on June 09, 2021 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

NSW machine Tom Trbojevic is breathing down Nathan Cleary’s neck as the best player in rugby league right now.

The Manly fullback was simply devastating as he ran rings around Queensland’s helpless defence in the Blues’ 50-6 humiliation of the Maroons on Wednesday night in Townsville.

Trbojevic was at the centre of all of it. He popped up everywhere and will be popping up again in the nightmares had by Queensland players.

Listed at right centre, Trbojevic was given licence to roam and often found himself on the left edge linking up with fellow centre Latrell Mitchell as he embraced the freedom afforded to him by Blues coach Brad Fittler.

Rather than sit out on the right waiting for the ball to arrive, he went hunting for possession wherever he could sniff out an opportunity.

Trbojevic walked off the field with a hat-trick and the status as the most feared man south of the Tweed.

He had the first try of the night with a simple one-on-one push past Kurt Capewell. He landed the knockout punch in the 58th minute with his second.

Then he added the cherry on top to the Maroons’ humiliation with the last try of the game in the 68th minute.

A clever grubber for Mitchell to score after again shifting to that dangerous left edge was more proof his permission to roam worked wonders for the Blues.

Maroons great Billy Slater said in commentary the “amount of times Turbo and Latrell have been next to each other is amazing” and at one point Ray Warren remarked: “Good god, he’s everywhere.”

Andrew Johns added: “Where he could get to in the game in the future is frightening ... he has been on another planet tonight.”

Tom Trbojevic tormented Queensland.

While the rugby league world was left in awe of the dangerous runner, his status as potentially the biggest star of the game in the near future was best summed up by teammate Cleary.

“I just let him pop up and do his thing. He is a freak of a football player,” Cleary said after the game.

“He has a really good feel for the game. He ended up at fullback a couple of times. He just knows where to get the ball. He is a freak.”

Trbojevic finished with 204m gained, a try assist, a line break and four tackle busts to go with his trio of touchdowns.

Trbojevic was far from the only NSW outside back to cause havoc as the Blues’ quick men tore the Maroons to pieces on the edges.

Mitchell had a crazy 10 tackle busts, while debutant winger Brian To’o ran for 220m.

Despite Mitchell and Trbojevic both playing out of position this year, they were too much to handle even without any match practice in the position.

Last year, the Blues struggled with centre pairings that resulted in Jack Wighton and Clint Gutherson both playing out of position and it proved costly for the Blues in the 2020 series loss last.

Fittler, however, stuck to his guns this year and rolled the dice on another explosive centre pairing — and the gamble paid off handsomely.

Originally published as Tom Trbojevic is a footy freak from ‘another planet’