‘I think it’d be a long-shot’: Tom Trbojevic unlikely to be available for Pacific Championships, with surgery an option for the Sea Eagles star

Tom Trbojevic is feeling infinitely better than he did this time last week, but his shoulder injury could cost him a representative jersey at the end of the season.

Tom Trbojevic insists his knee injury isn’t an issue ahead of Saturday’s showdown with the Roosters, but his troublesome shoulder could keep him out of the Australian side at the end of the year. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Tom Trbojevic is unlikely to feature in the end-of-season Pacific Championships with the Sea Eagles star expected to require surgery to repair the shoulder that kept him out of round 27 and troubled him at times during last week’s epic win over Canterbury.

Trbojevic hasn’t represented Australia since 2018 and that looks set to continue if the club decides he needs to go under the knife after he suffered a grade 3 AC joint injury against the Bulldogs last month.

Tom Trbojevic might have to wait a little longer to return to the Australian side with the Sea Eagles fullback possibly looking at surgery at the end of the season to repair his damaged shoulder. Picture: AAP Image/David Rowland

“I haven’t really addressed that (playing for the Kangaroos) but I think it’d be a long-shot,” he said on Wednesday afternoon when asked if he’d play for Australia later this year.

The Tests are the last thing on his mind at the moment as he prepares to tackle the Roosters in Saturday’s semi-final, with Trbojevic getting through the Bulldogs game despite appearing to be hampered by his shoulder and an MCL issue.

He trained on Wednesday afternoon but steered clear of contact work, with his shoulder a lot better than it was this time a week ago, while he won’t need strapping on his knee after dealing with a medial injury that he suffered in round 26 when making a tackle on Viliame Kikau.

“It’s feeling better this week which is normal. You try to stay off contact until the game so I’ll give it time to rest up and then go again in the game,” he said.

“We trained just before and it felt a lot better training so that’s a way to quantify it.

“It’s just a pain thing. The first game is going to be sore and then it gets better.”

Trbojevic suffered a facial wound as well as shoulder and knee injuries in the win over Canterbury last month. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Trbojevic required a needle before last week’s game and then again at half-time, with the fullback conceding he’ll need painkilling help for the rest of the season.

“It was always the plan (to have the needle at half-time),” he said after aggravating it in the first half when Stephen Crichton scored.

“That’s my understanding (that I’ll have to get needled up for the rest of the season) but if you want a better outlook on that then you’d have to speak with the doctor.”

Questions about Trbojevic’s fitness have followed him throughout his career, but he’s adamant he’ll be able to apply himself 100 per cent this weekend.

“Of course I do,” he declared.

“I’m just going out there to do my best. Whether people think I am or not, that’s up to you. I’m just going to go out and do my best, and hopefully that’s good enough.”

Originally published as ‘I think it’d be a long-shot’: Tom Trbojevic unlikely to be available for Pacific Championships, with surgery an option for the Sea Eagles star