‘Top three players overall’: Sea Eagles take inspiration from the Roosters as they put the brakes on controversial Trbojevic switch

Lehi Hopoate will be Manly’s fullback for a very long time, but the club is in no rush to make a drastic call which would see a club legend forced to switch positions.

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold described Tom Trbojevic as possibly the best fullback in the competition and “probably in the top three players overall”, yet the chat about moving him to centre or five-eighth seemingly won’t go away.

Trbojevic has heard the speculation for the past few years, and despite battling injuries which opened the door for young gun Lehi Hopoate to show off his incredible talent, the gun No.1 is in no rush to pass on the baton any time soon.

“It is what it is. People are just doing their job, they can say what they want. It can get frustrating but it is what it is,” he said.

It’s been a brutal run of injuries for the 28-year-old who played 20 games in 2024, which is something he hadn’t done for Manly since 2018.

His numbers were phenomenal – 17 tries, 21 assists and 15 line breaks – yet the focus has been on him eventually shifting elsewhere to protect his body.

There have been calls for Tom Trbojevic to switch positions to protect himself from injuries. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“It’s not really something I have even thought about,” he said, having starred at left centre for Australia and NSW.

“I have obviously played centre before so I know what that is like, I have never played five-eighth in however long I have been playing footy.

“I feel like the way I finished last year at fullback is some of the best footy I have played. I get a lot of confidence from that, and I really enjoyed the back end of that and hopefully I can start the year in the same way.”

The natural move would be to shift Hopoate from the wing to fullback, with the club clearly sold on his ability after they re-signed him last week following a breakout season where he shone at the back and on the wing.

But Seibold is in no rush for that to happen, with the veteran coach pointing to the Roosters as an example of a club that was patient with its succession plan and had no issue putting future superstars on the wing.

Lehi Hopoate excelled on the wing last year but is Manly’s long-term option at fullback. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

“I’ve got a long-term plan for Lehi,” he said.

“Turbo came through when Brett Stewart was fullback, played on the wing and played centre. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck came through when Minichiello was fullback, and he played on the wing. Minichiello came through when Luke Phillips was fullback at the Roosters and played wing.

“It’s not an unusual journey that Lehi is undertaking.

“If Turbo isn’t the best fullback in the comp then he is definitely in the best two in the competition and probably in the top three players overall.

“He’s a great person to mentor people. Lehi is only 20, he is right at the very beginning. He will eventually play fullback, but he is earning his stripes and will develop. But what better person to do that under than Turbo?”

Mentoring Hopoate isn’t something the rep star has had to focus on, with Trbojevic confident that the emerging talent is the right man to eventually replace him.

Trbojevic has dominated at left centre for Australia. Picture: NRL Photos

“I help out people whenever I feel necessary, and I don’t think Lehi needs much help,” he said.

“He is a quality football player, we saw that last year. He is going to be awesome for us long term. I don’t feel like I need to teach him too much. He knows what he is doing.

“That’s just how footy works. I know that’s how footy works, he will be here for a long time. Longer than I am. I am just being present, loving what I am doing and can’t wait to get out there.”

Hopoate will start the season on the left wing and is happy to bide his time before he eventually makes the move to fullback where he played four games last season, including his NRL debut against the Storm.

“I have been training on the wing, I am obviously not going to take Turbo’s position. I have been on the wing this whole pre-season,” he said.

“For Turbo to do his job, I have to do mine. I am playing wing, but I am learning the role of fullback and his positioning out on the field. I am learning that role as well.

“Whenever I am playing that at training or game day, Turbo and ‘Seibs’ are helping me to grow my game there.”