Lachlan Croker will start the season in the halves alongside Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans

TOM Trbojevic has tipped unheralded Manly five-eighth Lachlan Croker to help take Daly Cherry-Evans’ game to another level this season.

THIS really is the Prince and the Pauper.

The $10 million superstar paired with an unknown kid who played junior footy in the tiny southern tablelands town of Crookwell.

One holds the keys to Brookvale Oval, while the other could walk down The Corso without so much as a fan selfie.

But this partnership may just be the pairing to propel Manly to the top once again.

Skipper Daly Cherry-Evans will start the season in the halves alongside little-known Lachlan Croker, an off-season signing from Canberra.

The Sea Eagles went on the hunt for a half after releasing Blake Green to the New Zealand Warriors. They missed out on Mitchell Pearce and Trent Hodkinson, while salary cap woes have restricted their ability to dip into the player market.

Croker has made the move from Canberra to Manly.

Now 21-year-old Croker has emerged as Manly’s x-factor.

And star fullback Tom Trbojevic has backed Croker to push Cherry-Evans to yet another level.

Although he hasn’t yet played a game for the Sea Eagles, Croker will be responsible for supporting Cherry-Evans and getting the ball to a wandering and exciting Trbojevic.

Croker’s role will come with instant pressure and expectation.

“Baz (coach Trent Barrett) has a big wrap on him and all the playing group do. He will be really good for us. He will slot in there and fill Blake Green’s shoes really well,” said Trbojevic, who was part of a NRL promotion at his old school, Mona Vale Public.

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“We have been training really well together. You see the way Daly and Lachlan have been working together.

“Cherry will be same player this year if not better. That’s what we need, we’re looking forward to it.

“Lachlan is good with the ball in his hands and is really composed. He knows how to get the ball to the right people at the right time. He is very similar to ‘Greeny’.

“He is a great player and we know he will do really well in the six jersey. He’s fit and he’s been training the house down, he’s really composed for a young player.

Can Croker be the man for Manly?

“He’ll get the start there and he’s got the backing of the full squad.”

With Croker as a playmaker, Trbojevic wants plenty of ball in 2018 — as all Manly fans do.

“Playing footy and you’ve got the ball in hand, there’s not too many better things than that,” he said.

Manly play a trial against Cronulla this Saturday night but Trbojevic and Croker will be rested.

Trbojevic said Brad Parker and Matt Wright would be candidates to replace injured Dylan Walker, who will miss the first few games of 2018.

Jake Trbojevic, injured for Australia in the World Cup, is back training and should be fit for round one against Newcastle.

“He is training fully,” Tom Trbojevic said.

Originally published as Lachlan Croker will start the season in the halves alongside Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans