‘If it was Origin, you’d bloody want Tom in your side’: Sea Eagles players back Turbo to recapture 2021 form

Tom Trbojevic hasn’t been at his best this season, but his teammates reckon it won’t be long until he returns to his ridiculous 2021 form.

Sea Eagles teammates are backing Tom Trbojevic to recapture his 2021 form. Picture; Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Reuben Garrick has backed Tom Trbojevic to return to his stunning 2021 form, declaring the Sea Eagles fullback isn’t too far away from the player who took home the Dally M Medal that year.

All the talk about Trbojevic right now is that he’s holding himself back because he’s worried about reinjuring his hamstring.

The 26-year-old is adamant that’s not the case, with no one able to question his effort after he was one of Manly’s best in an otherwise poor performance at Magic Round.

Tom Trbojevic missed a game because of a groin strain and also required a needle after suffering from back spasms. Picture; Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

His numbers this season are perfectly fine – he’s averaging 153 metres and has scored five tries in eight games – but the problem is people only want to compare his stats to what he achieved in 2021 when he was untouchable.

Trbojevic took advantage of the rules that year to produce absurd numbers in his 18 appearances, scoring 28 tries, setting up 31 tries and breaking the line 32 times as the star fullback, Garrick and Jason Saab crossed at will.

He hasn’t played with the same freedom since then with a shoulder injury cutting short his 2022 campaign, while hamstring setbacks and a niggling groin injury have restricted him this season.

But his teammates are confident that he can get back to his best and that Trbojevic deserves to be picked for the State of Origin series opener.

Trbojevic was the player of the series in 2021, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be picked this year.

“I think he knows he can, and we all know he can (get back to his 2021 form),” Garrick said.

“He’s a tremendous athlete. He’s not too far off it now, and in his mind he definitely knows that he can.

“Any other person probably couldn’t do it, but for him, it’s not untouchable.

“A lot of the stuff that has been said, some of those people don’t know how much he’s put into it. If it was any other person with the stats he’s producing each week, they’d say he’s an awesome player. And he is an awesome player.

“We as a club know what we’re getting each week out of Tom and what sort of a leader he is for us at training and on the field at games.

“I wouldn’t want to run out with any other bloke than Tom. He gives his absolute all each week, and it’s the same with Jake. I think it’s bred into their DNA.

“If it was Origin, you’d bloody want Tom in your side.”

Veteran prop Aaron Woods has seen players go on amazing runs for five or six weeks, which is why he thinks it’s unfair for people to expect Trbojevic to repeat what he did in 2021 when he produced brilliance every single game.

Trbojevic had one of the most dominant seasons of all time in 2021. Picture; Zak Simmonds

“Everyone is going back to 2021 form,” Woods said ahead of the game against Cronulla.

“That form that he did that year was remarkable. I think he got 11 man of the matches, and you never see that.

“The expectation of Tommy from everyone else, they’re holding him up so high.

“We as a group need to play better footy to create some more opportunities for him, so we’re not helping him out.

“A lot of the time it looks like we’re just going out the back and hoping that Tom can create something, but if we can get some better play the balls in the middle and our edges run some better lines to hold up defenders, that will bring back that form.

“I’m not too worried about it. I don’t think his body is letting him down at all. It’s just a bit of confidence and then he’ll be right.”

Originally published as ‘If it was Origin, you’d bloody want Tom in your side’: Sea Eagles players back Turbo to recapture 2021 form