Manly NRL 2021 season preview: Tom Trbojevic vital to Sea Eagles revival if he can stay on the field

After basking in the luxury of two quality dummy halves a little over a year ago, Manly will thrust a player with limited experience into hooker next season.

Tom Trbojevic’s injury issues were too big a hurdle for Manly to overcome in 2020.

His return will significantly boost the Sea Eagles’ finals hopes next season, but they must find a way to win when their star fullback isn’t on the field.

Nick Campton takes a look at the key questions facing the Sea Eagles in 2021.

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2020 ladder position: 13th

Ins: Jason Saab (Dragons), Christian Tuipulotu (Roosters), Josh Aloiai (Tigers), Kieran Foran (Bulldogs), Andrew Davey (Eels)

Outs: Danny Levi (released), Brendan Elliot (released), Joel Thompson (St Helens), Tony Williams (released), Corey Waddell (Bulldogs), Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors)

Players in the 2020 Rich 100: 5 — 1. Daly Cherry-Evans ($1.25 million), 12. Tom Trbojevic ($900,000), 29. Jake Trbojevic ($800,000), 46. Marty Taupau ($700,000)

Coach status: Manly may have missed the finals last year but Des Hasler’s spot at Brookvale is still very safe.

The two-time premiership winner signed a two-year contract extension with the club that should keep him at the Sea Eagles until the end of 2023, which should put him in striking distance of Bob Fulton’s record for most games as Manly coach.

The Sea Eagles cannot replace Tom Trbojevic but must find a way to win without him. Picture: AAP

What is their game plan, and how do they need to tweak: The Sea Eagles made the finals in 2019 despite a host of injuries and a top heavy roster mainly due to Hasler’s ability to draw good, consistent football out of unheralded players like Brendan Elliot and Corey Waddell while also helping the likes of the enigmatic Moses Suli make the most of their considerable ability.

However, 2020 proved there are limits to even what Hasler can accomplish – despite boasting a strong cadre of middles in Jake Trbojevic, Addin Fonua-Blake and Martin Taupau, as well as an Origin-calibre halfback in Daly Cherry-Evans, losing fullback Tom Trbojevic was enough to sink the season entirely.

Manly never recovered from losing their star custodian and his recent injury troubles gives them two problems to solve – how can they keep him on the field, and when he isn’t there how do they keep from falling apart? There is no replacing a player of Trbojevic’s calibre, but finding a reliable back-up should be a priority for Hasler over the off-season.

How did they go in free agency: Kieran Foran’s return to Manly is the Sea Eagles’ highest-profile signing but their most important might be Josh Aloiai, who they snagged from the Tigers.

Addin Fonua-Blake’s discipline may have let him down at times, but he was the best forward at the Sea Eagles in terms of yardage and Aloiai faces a tough task to replace him. The Samoan international has been one of the NRL’s quiet improvers in recent years, but he must step things up again if he’s to live up to the billing.

Jason Saab and Christian Tuipulotu have joined from St George Illawarra and the Roosters respectively and given their potential don’t be surprised if they’re the starting wingers come Round 1. Back-rower Andrew Davey joins from Parramatta and helps round out the squad.

Will development contract upgraded kids make an impact: Tolu Koula and Kaeo Weekes are both exiting utility backs, but given Manly’s plethora of backline options they’re unlikely to come into first grade contention unless injury were to strike. Keep an eye on them both at the back end of the season but 2022 is more likely to be their year.

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans will resurrect his halves partnership with Kieran Foran. Picture: Getty Images

What players can they reinvent: When Foran left Manly at the end of 2015 he departed as one of the best players in rugby league for a lucrative deal with Parramatta after a heady bidding war between half the clubs in the NRL. Five years, three clubs and countless injuries later he returns to where everything began for one last chance at extending his career.

Foran’s football smarts and toughness have never been in question, but his body just hasn’t held up to the rigours of a full NRL season for a long time now – having said that, he can still form a good partnership with Cherry-Evans, which would also allow Dylan Walker to move out to the centres and boost Manly’s strike power.

Hasler bandied about the idea of Foran playing hooker for a time but asking Foran to handle the defensive duties in the middle of the field, given his injury history, shapes as a tall order.

Cade Cust is set to take on the hooker role at the Sea Eagles.

Who takes the next step: A little over a year ago, Manly had the luxury of choosing between Api Koroisau and Manase Fainu as their dummy half. The Sea Eagles chose the impressive Fainu and allowed Koroisau to leave, only for the young rake to become embroiled in a court case that kept him sidelined through all of 2020 and could well keep him off the field for much of 2021.

Taking a shot at the stumps on Danny Levi didn’t work out, with the former Knight showing little of his best football in 2020, so now utility Cade Cust shapes as Manly’s first-choice hooker for Round 1. Cust is not without his talents — he’s a fine competitor with a good running game in the halves — but switching to hooker full-time will take some work and the Sea Eagles have little depth outside of the 22-year old.

The best 17 for next year:

1. Tom Trbojevic

2. Jason Saab

3. Dylan Walker

4. Brad Parker

5. Jorge Taufua

6. Kieran Foran

7. Daly Cherry-Evans

8. Marty Taupau

9. Cade Cust

10. Josh Aloiai

11. Curtis Sironen

12. Haumole Olakau’atu

13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Josh Schuster

15. Taniela Paseka

16. Jack Gosiewski

17. Sean Keppie

2021 squad: Morgan Boyle, Daly Cherry-Evans, Lachlan Croker, Cade Cust, Andrew Davey, Kieran Foran, Manase Fainu (stood down), Tevita Funa, Reuben Garrick, Jack Gosiewski, Morgan Harper, Sean Keppie, Haumole Olakau’ata, Brad Parker, Taniela Paseka, Jason Saab, Josh Schuster, Toafofoa Sipley, Curtis Sironen, Moses Suli, Jorge Taufua, Martin Taupau, Jake Trbojevic, Tom Trbojevic, Dylan Walker

Fox Sports Lab’s Aaron Wallace says: Manly won just 35 per cent of their matches in 2020 — Des Hasler’s worst ever season as an NRL coach. They conceded 40 points five times, and lost six games by 18 points or more. A poor season by anyone’s standards.

It seems that Tom Trbojevic will carry a lot of weight on his highly publicised problem hamstrings.

In the past two seasons Manly have won almost 74 per cent of the 19 games he has played, but just under 30 per cent of the 27 games he has missed. They are almost a 10-point better side defensively when he takes the field.

Finish the past five years: 13th, 6th, 15th, 6th, 13th

Odds are: Premiership – $17, top-four finish – $4.50, top-8 finish – $1.75, most losses – $26