The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Turbo brothers are rugby league prototypes

Tom Trbojevic (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Roar Guru
14th October, 2016
12

While Jake Trbojevic’s elevation into the Kangaroos squad may seem like a surprise for some, there are plenty of reasons why he and younger brother Tom are the prototypes for the perfect rugby league players.

Jake and Tom Trbojevic are the next biggest things on the Northern Beaches. They recently just signed extensions to their current contracts to stay at Manly, and are looking to be the core of the club’s future.

While both are still in their early 20s, plenty will tell you why they are so highly touted. I absolutely hate Manly like many other league fans, but I can’t help loving the work these two blokes do, and here is why you should keep an eye out for them next season.

Workrate
To be a good rugby league player, you need to have a high workrate, and these blokes have it in spades. On a constant basis Jake will make over 100 metres a game and rack upwards of 35 tackles, which is amazing especially for a young forward.

Tom at the back usually ends up with 150 plus metres and a number of tackle breaks, again great for someone so young.

Versatility

I think one of the things that got Jake into the Aussie Four Nations squad was his versatility. He is equally adept at playing in the front row and back row, which is such an important quality that not all players are able to do.

Similarly, Tom is a star at fullback, but can play on the wing or centres with ease, and has shown his quality in all three positions over his short career.

This not only gives coach Trent Barrett options at his disposal, but allows him to chop and change at a pinch if need be. Their best positions at the moment are lock and fullback respectively, but don’t be surprised to see them do a job in other parts of the field.

Leadership and humility
Jake has already had the coveted (c) next to his name on multiple occasions at only 22 years of age, which is an honour in itself. This guy, provided he stays at Manly, will be a fulltime captain in the next few years. He oozes leadership qualities, not only on the field with his work ethic and efforts, but also off the field.

Advertisement

One thing I really want to bring up is how good these guys are as people, not just as footballers.

It’s been well documented that the Trbojevics are a family that gives back to the community. They do their best in bettering their local Northern Beaches districts and love the Manly club as well.

So many times we see NRL stars making poor decisions off the field, and as such the media goes absolutely haywire, putting as many hits as they can on the code.

But the Trbojevics are a great example of how great people are in the rugby league community. They are always looking to do more for others, whether it’s signing jerseys, working with charities or for the Manly club itself, they’re there.

It takes true character and shows how well their parents have raised them, but rugby league needs more Trbojevic stories.

Manly fans, get excited. You have two quality footballers on your hands for the next few years looking to light up Brookvale, but most importantly, you have two quality humans lighting up the rugby league community as well.

close