Jake and Tom Trbojevic bumped in Manly Sea Eagles team of the decade
They represent the present and the future for a Sea Eagles team on the rise, but star brothers Jake and Tom Trbojevic can’t claim their regular jerseys in Manly’s team of the decade. CHECK OUT THE FULL TEAM
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Manly started the decade at the peak of their powers — and naturally the core of this team is those who helped deliver the 2011 title.
It was a second premiership in four years and it should shock nobody to see this squad stacked with the stars of that era.
A grim decline followed, before a resurgence under Des Hasler came this year, though preference has been given to those players who lifted the Provan-Summons Trophy.
1. Brett Stewart: Stewart was at the peak of his powers at the start of the decade, spearheading the 2011 title win – scoring the opening try of the grand final triumph over the Warriors. Scored 65 of his 163 career tries in this decade and was the playmaking heart of the team’s attack, even into his final years when the body fell apart. Manly’s best ever fullback? He presents a compelling case.
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2. Tom Trbojevic: Has flourished at fullback in recent years, but Trbojevic started out his career on the wing - where he emerged as a prolific tryscorer and one of the game’s most dynamic ballrunners. The best is yet to come for the 23-year-old but with 44 tries across his first five seasons he’s a shoo-in for this team.
3. Jamie Lyon: An absolute no-brainer. This all-time Sea Eagles great captained the Sea Eagles to the 2011 and 2013 grand finals and has a strong claim to be the best centre of the decade – across all teams. A four-time centre of the year, and two-time captain of the year.
4. Steve Matai: Hit harder than Mike Tyson, and left many a rival centre gasping for air after cutting them in half with a trademark big shot. But Matai was more than just a hitman – he was a workhorse, a selfless teammate and an underrated attacking force. With 65 tries from 2010 onwards, he was a crucial cog in Manly’s best teams until his body had had enough.
5. Jorge Taufua: Keeps out premiership winners Will Hopoate, Michael Robertson and David Williams. No player scored more tries for Manly in the past decade than Taufua, who crossed 80 times. Was also a no-holds-barred defender whose highlight reel of bone-rattling hits was felt all the way in America.
6. Kieran Foran: Fans of Parramatta, Canterbury and the Warriors won’t want to read this – but in the opening half of the decade there was no tougher player. A rugged playmaker, Foran gave his heart, soul and big chunks of his body to the Sea Eagles before a doomed switch to the Eels in 2016. But by that point he’d already won a comp, played 20 times for his country and entrenched himself as a Sea Eagles legend.
7. Daly Cherry-Evans: The team’s longest servant throughout the decade, Cherry-Evans began as a fresh-faced rookie who steered the ship in their 2011 premiership and ends it as the team captain and a Queensland and Australia mainstay. Nearly walked out on the club in 2016 but famously backflipped on a deal with the Gold Coast to steer the club out of a mid-decade funk.
8. Martin Taupau: Arrived at Manly in 2016 to much fanfare and instantly delivered on the large expectation, immediately becoming the team’s most threatening forward.
9. Matt Ballin: The ironman of the Manly pack, once playing in 187 consecutive games for the Sea Eagles. The 2012 best and fairest didn’t face too much competition for this spot from those who came after him during his disastrous two-year, three-game stint at Wests Tigers.
10. Brent Kite: The 2008 Clive Churchill medal doesn’t come into the reckoning for Kite’s selection in this squad, but he led the Sea Eagles forward pack for the first four years of the decade and is an automatic inclusion.
11. Anthony Watmough: Forget that he left in ugly circumstances and just remember the good times: Watmough at his best was a prospect to be feared, and he remained near his best right until the acrimonious end of his time at Manly.
12. Tony Williams: Perhaps the most controversial inclusion, Williams is the beneficiary of a lack of serious competition for the second edge forward role. And he edges out the likes of Joel Thompson, Jamie Buhrer, Justin Horo and Curtis Sironen because at his best he had them all covered – and in 2011 he was at his destructive best, leading to an Origin call-up the following year. That he could never reproduce his explosive form was a great shame.
13. Glenn Stewart: In arguably the toughest selection battle, Stewart pips Jake Trbojevic for the starting role because of one clear reason — the 2011 Clive Churchill medal. A defensive workhorse, Stewart was also a classy ballplayer who alongside brother Brett was so often the heartbeat of the Manly attack.
14. Jake Trbojevic: Pushed to the bench in the second of the Stewart v Trbojevic battles, but that should in no way diminish the impact Jake has had in recent years. Entered first grade with the team on the slide, and has been as influential as any in building them back up to finalists. A three-time best and fairest winner in just five full seasons of first grade.
15. Jason King: A local junior who grew into a rugged front-rower and later captain, King would give you great service off the bench.
16. Addin Fonua-Blake: A late addition to the squad, Fonua-Blake broke into first grade in 2016 and has emerged as one of the premier front-rowers in the NRL.
17. Jamie Buhrer: Versatile and hardworking, Buhrer played 129 games for Manly after captaining the team’s NYC side.