NRL 2021: NSW Blues star Tom Trbojevic will become highest-paid fullback in NRL

In a short seven years, Tom Trbojevic has gone from earning the same salary as a kid working the drive-thru at McDonalds — to the wage of a corporate CEO.

Tom Trbojevic on the charge for the Blues. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The Trbojevic brothers Tom and Jake used to play knee-footy in their lounge room every State of Origin night.

So to all those mums and dads, ease up on the kids tackling each other on the new carpet, before kick-off at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night.

As teenagers, it was footy in the park for Tom and Jake, out in the backyard or still, a lofted pass over the dinner table.

It wasn’t so long ago.

In a short seven years, Tom Trbojevic has gone from earning the same salary as a kid working the drive-thru at McDonalds — to the wage of a corporate CEO.

His first contract was $5000 as a 16-year-old playing in Manly‘s Harold Matthews team.

Trbojevic is now earning more than $1 million a season — and he’s done it all, by being that kid in the park.

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An 11-year-old Tom Trbojevic at Newport Oval after winning a call-up to the NSW under-12s.

With his current on-field invincibility and versatility to play a number of positions, Trbojevic will end-up becoming the highest-paid fullback in the NRL — surpassing his NSW captain, James Tedesco.

This is why you let the kids play; in the lounge room, in the backyard or across the street.

Trbojevic’s long-time agent Paul Sutton organised the first contract for the Manly and NSW Origin star at 16.

Sutton isn’t alone, as he has got some calls wrong along the way as well.

But on this particular day, while watching the Sea Eagles junior representative team in 2014, he was right.

Sutton knew what he could see.

“I turned to Mel and John (Trbojevic’s parents) and said; “He’ll play for NSW.”

Tom Trbojevic, right, with brother Jake during their Manly junior days.

Mel and John knew their boy, but even they were surprised by Sutton’s claim.

Sutton saw everything we all saw in Townsville in Origin I, when the 24-year-old, called ‘Turbo’, torched Queensland with three tries of his own.

“The football found him back then, just as it does now,” Sutton said.

“He was playing fullback and you know how Darren Lockyer played, he was never shouting and screaming for the footy, the ball just found him.

“That’s Tom.

“At fullback he was getting the ball, the same as what he does now — the ball finds him.

“He’ll stand out the back and he knows where the ball is going to be.

“Jake is like that, too. He’ll do a hit-up and then he’ll go three-wide and he’ll get another run.

“It comes from them playing backyard footy. Always back your mate up and support.

“In the 13-man game, a lot of players don’t play like they’re in the backyard anymore.

“But Tom, he’s just always around the footy, always backing up, always putting himself in the picture.’’

Tom Trbojevic on the charge for the Blues. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images.

In Townsville, Trbojevic became the first player to score two State of Origin hat-tricks (after first achieving the feat in 2019 in Perth).

He has eight four-pointers in just six games for the Blues and on Sunday Trbojevic could become the fastest player to reach 10 Origin tries, a record currently held by Queensland’s Dane Gagai (11 games).

Another hat-trick at Suncorp Stadium and Trbojevic will equal the record of Michael O’Connor and Jarryd Hayne (11) of most tries for NSW.

Money is nice, but it doesn’t drive Trbojevic.

If it did, he would perpetuate his earnings by constantly promoting anything from boots, sunglasses, clothing brands, cars or watches to his 63,300 Instagram followers.

Truth be told, Trbojevic would rather post a letter than a story on the ‘gram.

He has a sponsorship arrangement with car dealership Bill Buckle Auto and is dressed by Nike.

Yet his last ‘car’ post was back in March.

The man fast-developing into the best fullback in the game, who could also be the best winger or best centre in the game, craves footy, not followers.

Ever-polite, but casually vanilla, Trbojevic is a tough interview for the press.

He has even been called ‘cliched’ and ‘boring’ by his own coach in Fittler.

What Trbojevic is, is wholesome and himself; proof that not every NRL player has to parade, promote or pretend they’re an NBA star.

In a short seven years, Trbojevic has gone from a $5000 find to the Blues’ $1 million-man.

And he’s done it for all the kids playing in their lounge room on Sunday night.