With Tom Trbojevic firing on all cylinders upon returning from injury, Manly must now smartly manage his workload by frontloading bulk matches before his hamstring inevitably re-erupts.
It is a radical move that will ensure Des Hasler can combat a concerning trend emerging among his squad that sees every player refusing to conduct themselves like first-graders unless the champion fullback is on the park.
As seen in Manly’s stunning win over Gold Coast on Saturday, Trbojevic’s presence alone lifts the no-frills Sea Eagles physically and most notably psychologically, mainly because his 94.5 ATAR means he is the only bloke who can decipher Hasler’s instructions.
However, after four hamstring injuries in two years and a range of other frustrating impairments the club must remain mindful their prized commodity is officially the most decrepit body in the league now Wayne Bennett can dance post-match without dissolving.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
As such, the Sea Eagles must capitalise on his health by forcing his brittle body to play as many games as possible in the shortest period of time before he makes his unavoidable return to life under the physio’s knuckles.
This will be best achieved by compressing the entire season into one block, which based on factors like sports science, Trbojevic’s injury record and his daily shower routine would only require the club to play its last 18 matches inside a three week period.
However, experts have warned that keeping the champion fullback intact for this marathon 21 days would still require a special management program of extreme cotton wool, such as a reduced training schedule or quarantining his hamstrings in a hub safe from the outside dangers of the world, like drunken sprinters.
Trbojevic made a barnstorming return in the Sea Eagles’ emphatic 36-0 romp over the Titans, further highlighting his exorbitant 85 per cent slice of the club’s salary cap and how it’s breathtaking value considering he’s 100 per cent load-bearing.
The 24-year-old wasted no time slipping back in to ‘Bequeath Mode’, instantly endowing the ragged Manly side with a desire and potency only seen this year in brother Jake’s impassioned pleas.
Running for 187 metres in Manly’s biggest win since Round 2, 2018, the Origin rep scored one try and had a hand in three others while capably rallying a defensive unit whose only previous cohesion was shown grouping together under the posts.
Trbojevic’s 2021 has reinforced his reputation as one of the NRL’s gifted unicorns, a specimen bestowed with size, skill and core sinew as resilient as a wonky stack of Saladas.
He remains unrivalled for his indelible influence on teammates despite the disrupted season, with his company alone still making Brad Parker look like Mal Meninga, Jason Saab look like Brett Mullins and Kieran Foran look like a healthy footballer.
With Trbojevic now in the rare form of being on the park, Manly should abandon its demands for greater player safety by requesting more five-day turnarounds, provided they are shorter and more frequent.
The Sea Eagles’ compressed draw would mimic that deployed by various codes throughout the infamous COVID shutdown, a global pandemic coincidentally also missed by Turbo due to injury.
By dangerously compressing their schedule, Manly can maximise his chalky joints in the hope of fulfilling the club’s dream of being there on the coveted first Sunday in July.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Duncan, Dane has spoken , Turbo is the only one with a high ATAR, the rest wouldn't understand it.
PG
Guest
Fantastic insights Dane that had me roaring from start to finish. On a more serious note, how many players can transform a team’s confidence? I don’t think that recently retired (is that now confirmed?) Stormer ever missed enough games (apart from one momentous October day many moons ago) for him to qualify on this scale but seriously....who lifts a team more than Turbo?
mushi
Roar Guru
I was being sarcastic
One Man Banned
Roar Rookie
Have the Titans become the new standard for average mushi? Why are the Titans the new litmus test for success? With only a 50% win/loss ratio have they done enough yet to even be considered serious top 8 contenders? Or do you honestly believe the Raiders and the Knights will not fjnish in the top 8 this year?
mushi
Roar Guru
Any time you beat the gold coast you know the team has turned a corner and you need to do everything you can to keep that going
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
I hope the Manly players read this article. They should.
Crow
Roar Pro
I like your article. A good sense of humour is always welcome. Act like the weather and take no notice of criticism.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Nice one again Dane, when will Tom blow his Turbo!
One Man Banned
Roar Rookie
It only confuses them Tony.
kk
Roar Pro
The Eldridge Vocational Guidance Bureau sets a demanding schedule more suitable for an SAS unit. Your a hard man Dane. A 94.5 burnout.
Paul
Roar Guru
neither did we :laughing: :laughing:
Tony
Roar Guru
I never really saw much point in front rowers training, to be honest :happy:
Paul
Roar Guru
You're right, but I don't remember doing the sprint part.... or maybe my lumbering run passed as a front rower's sprint in those days. A few cold ones certainly figured pretty prominently
Tony
Roar Guru
Dare I say it.........just like the good old days :happy:
Paul
Roar Guru
I wonder what Harry's training scheme would look like? A few cold ones then a 40 metre sprint down The Corso and repeat.
Tony
Roar Guru
The thing that astounds me though is that Manly still haven't signed Harry. He has to be quicker than any of their backs.
Paul
Roar Guru
Cramming so many games into only a few weeks makes even more sense given Tom's been banned from showers for the duration of the season. This action has had to be taken given that's where he damaged the hammy this time round. Needless to say, his team mates are not exactly thrilled. He's also been banned from having any interactions with blokes named Harry.
One Man Banned
Roar Rookie
You are right Dane. The Turboless "no-frills Sea Eagles" are as unpalatable as an uncooked chip! Even seagulls can't get that down their gullets without gagging. :laughing:
brookvalesouth
Roar Rookie
I know this was meant to be light hearted, but man, not funny at all :crying: :laughing: