NRL news: How Manly parted company with fitness guru who managed Tom Trbojevic’s fitness
Just weeks ago Manly parted company with the high-performance guru whose specific job was to look after Tom Trbojevic’s dodgy hamstrings.
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It was a departure the Manly Sea Eagles may live to regret.
Just weeks ago they parted company with the high-performance guru who managed superstar Tom Trbojevic’s fitness before the champion fullback’s latest breakdown.
Ruben Ruzicka was known as the ‘miracle worker’ on Des Hasler’s high performance staff.
It was his specific job to look after Trbojevic’s dodgy hamstrings during his breakout 2021 season in which he won the Dally M medal.
Trbojevic had so much confidence in his physio guru that he even arranged for him to join the NSW Blues camp in the lead-up to the three 2021 State of Origin games.
Trbojevic played 18 NRL games and three Origins that year.
Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov said on Friday morning that Ruzicka left prior to new coach Anthony Seibold starting on the northern peninsula.
“It was indicated to us that he (Ruben) was leaving the club and so we were left in a position to make our own plans going forward,” Mestrov said.
Ruzicka, an athletic development and rehabilitation coach, is now working for the Canterbury Bulldogs on the staff of new coach Cameron Ciraldo.
Former Manly CEO Stephen Humphreys said in 2021: “Tommy has done a lot of work with Ruben and gives him a lot of confidence.”
Seibold told The Daily Telegraph he had no say in Ruzicka’s departure.
“It was communicated to me that Ruben had agreed to go to the Bulldogs before I got here,” Seibold said.
“I never even spoke to him.
“I’ve basically kept the performance guys that were here. They are very good operators.”
Seibold insists Trbojevic will be fit for the start of the season, despite suffering a grade two hamstring tear that will keep him out for between six and eight weeks.
“It’s been made out as a crisis but it’s more of a hiccup,” Seibold said.
“He hasn’t done his knee. He’s not out for 12 months. He’ll be okay.”
Trbojevic is due to return to training in mid-February ahead of a round one game against Canterbury at Brookvale Oval on March 4. It is unlikely Trbojevic would be risked in the Sea Eagles’ two trial games on February 10 and 17.
The concern for the Sea Eagles is that Trbojevic hasn’t played a game since May 20 when he injured his shoulder in Manly’s Round 11 loss to Parramatta.
If fit, Trbojevic will go into the NRL’s opening round without a competitive game under his belt in 10 months.
It is Trbojevic’s fifth hamstring injury since 2019.
But while the initial three occurred on his left leg, this is now the second in a row on his right leg – the same hamstring he injured during his infamous late night sprint down the Corso in February 2021.
He only played seven games in 2022 in yet another injury interrupted season.
SEND HIM TO THE STATES: RIVALS’ TURBO ADVICE
By Dean Ritchie
Manly has been urged to consider sending superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic to the American rehabilitation guru who cured Latrell Mitchell’s hamstring woes.
Trbojevic injured a hamstring for the fifth time during training on Wednesday and will miss six to eight weeks of summer training. Scans revealed a grade two partial tear.
Perhaps ominously, NRL physio Brien Seeney tweeted: “Provided no rehab setbacks, (Trbojevic) will be fit for round one, but recurrence risk (is) the main concern heading into the season.”
Trbojevic will return to training mid-February ahead of a round one game against Canterbury at Brookvale Oval on March 4. It is unlikely Trbojevic would be risked in the Sea Eagles’ two trial games.
South Sydney flew Mitchell – who was enduring troublesome hamstring issues - to the US for a fortnight with Knowles in Philadelphia – the champion player returning to Australia fit and firing.
The overall trip cost $50,000 but visiting Knowles was a wise $12,000 investment by Solly, who believes Manly should look at flying Trbojevic to the US.
“Tom, a little bit like Latrell, is one of the players that fans want to watch every week,” Solly said.
“Our view is that with those star players, whatever you have to do to get them on the field, you investigate it to its fullest.
“Any decision is one for Manly and Tom, but we were very happy with how it all went. Our experience with Bill Knowles was top class.
“Like every fan of the game, you want the best players on the field as much as possible.
“Our sport is built on great players and great clubs battling for the two competition points every week.
“Latrell also threw himself into the treatment with Knowles and made the most of his time in the US. He came back full of praise for Bill Knowles and full of praise for the experience in the US.
“Probably, the fact that Latrell got outside of the usual training cycle was rejuvenating for him. I would highly recommend Knowles.”
A Manly media statement released on Thursday afternoon stated: “Manly Warringah Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic today underwent scans on a hamstring injury suffered at pre-season training on Wednesday.
“An MRI confirmed a grade two hamstring (strain/partial tear) with an expected recovery time of six to eight weeks.”
A recharged Mitchell arrived back in Sydney to help drive Souths deep into the finals before inspiring Australia to the rugby league World Cup.
On returning to Australia, Mitchell spoke glowingly about his medical journey to America.
“I got a lot of confidence out of it, a bit of growth,“ Mitchell told AAP.
”I‘ve been really enjoying taking what I learned from America and bringing it back here and just conducting it every week. It’s all confidence now.
“Bill Knowles, he knew what he was doing. He taught me from day one how to walk all the way up to running and it‘s been enjoyable.”
Knowles has previously worked with global sporting stars Tiger Woods, Andy Murray and Alex Rodriguez.
Scans confirm a grade 2 hamstring strain (partial tear) for Tom Trbojevic. Manly expect a 6-8 week recovery, which is the usual timeframe. Provided no rehab setbacks will be fit for Round 1, but recurrence risk the main concern heading into the season pic.twitter.com/yh4rq1QIiV
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) December 15, 2022
NRL PHYSIO: MANLY’S TRBOJEVIC TRAINING PROBLEM
—Paul Crawley
Less than a day after Manly posted a TikTok video cheering on Tom Trbojevic as “last man standing” in a pre-season Yoyo torture test, the champion fullback has suffered another shattering hamstring injury.
And while it remains to be seen how long the superstar Sea Eagle will be out of action after he was sent for scans on Wednesday, it has definitely delivered new coach Anthony Seibold his “biggest challenge” since taking over from Des Hasler.
That is the expert opinion of the respected NRL Physio Brien Seeney, who told The Daily Telegraph: “I think Seibold’s biggest challenge going to that club is keeping Tommy on the park at this stage.
“Because it is obvious whatever, I guess, training methods they have gone with so far just aren’t getting the job done, unfortunately.”
CASUALTY WARD: Injury news from every club
It comes after The Telegraph broke the news online on Wednesday that Trbojevic had gone down clutching at his right leg during an opposed session at Narrabeen.
It is Trbojevic’s fifth hamstring injury since 2019.
But while the initial three occurred on his left leg, this is now the second in a row on his right leg – the same hamstring he injured during his infamous late night sprint down the Corso in February 2021.
On this occasion Trbojevic was said to have been only cruising and not sprinting when he pulled up at training, but he immediately knew he had a problem.
He was then helped from the field before he sat with his head between his hands looking absolutely gutted.
Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov confirmed the club was awaiting scan results: “Tom didn’t finish the training session and has gone off for a precautionary scan.
“I can’t say any more.”
INJURY MANAGEMENT COULD GET TRICKY
Seeney gave his verdict on how delicate and difficult it will be managing the training workload given Trbojevic worrying history.
Seeney said while it was most likely Trbojevic should be fit for Round 1, unless it had been completely torn off the bone, he added in a tweet: “Obviously of more concern is adding another strain to his hamstring injury history”.
Asked to elaborate on that, Seeney explained: “When I say concern, if it is his right again, you are adding more scar tissue to the hamstring.
“There is more danger of weakness to persist, strength deficit, those kind of things.
“And especially because his right you would say is his good hamstring … but obviously it has gone again.”
Tom Trbojevic is heading for scans on a right hamstring injury suffered at training (via @telegraph_sport). Recovery time a wide range pending severity, but most would still have him fit for Rd1. Obviously of more concern is adding another strain to his hamstring injury history
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) December 14, 2022
He said the fact the injury occurred when he was not running at full pace “is a good thing”.
“Because usually at full pace it is going to be a significant tear or something like that,” he continued.
“But it depends what they have done with him training-wise over the last couple of weeks.
“Whether there has been too much build-up of load or something like that.”
Asked how the club would likely manage it in the future, he added: “I think Seibold’s biggest challenge going to that club is keeping Tommy on the park at this stage.
“Because it is obvious whatever, I guess, training methods they have gone with so far just aren’t getting the job done unfortunately.
“I thought (it was going OK).
“It won’t be quite two years (since the last hamstring injury), but it will be nearly two years since he suffered a hamstring injury.
“Effectively 2019/2020 were his bad years, and the start of 2021 was the ‘Corso’.
“So he hasn’t had one since the start of 2021.
“That’s the thing. I thought they had some sort of program in place and they seemed to be on top of things.
“The big thing is, even though it is another hamstring, it would have to have been completely torn off the bone for it not to be right for round one.
“They have got the best part of two and a half months until round one. Even if it is a grade two you are usually looking around six to eight weeks, which would still have him right.
“But they can take it extra slow with him (because it is pre-season).
“He couldn’t have done it at a better time.
“It is just now, moving forward, I think it is how they are going to manage him in season to make sure that the risk of hamstring injuries is as low as possible.”
ONE MAN TEAM
The statistics show Trbojevic has only played a total of 44 of 97 Manly games since 2019, and without him the Sea Eagles only win 33 per cent of their matches.
Although his list of injuries extend beyond hamstring issues, having also suffered shoulder, knee and pectoral problems.
This season he did not play after suffering a shoulder injury in round 11.
Manly’s first trial game is against South Sydney in eight weeks at Gosford on February 10, while the Sea Eagles face Canterbury in their season opener on March 4.
Reuben Garrick is the most likely replacement for Trbojevic should he face an extended break.
However, Garrick is also on the casualty ward after suffering a late season-ending shoulder injury himself.
The club is hopeful Garrick will be available for round one as well. The other option to play fullback would be youngster Tolutau Koula.
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