'Project Turbo' hailed a success as Manly gun eyes round one

With Manly’s opening game of the 2023 NRL season just 31 days away, champion fullback Tom Trbojevic is back from the USA and back in the positive frame of mind that carried him to Dally M glory in 2021 before injuries again rocked his world last season.

The gun No.1 played just seven games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, and when he was struck down by another hamstring issue in December, the club decided to send their main man to Philadelphia to spend time with reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles.

What had worked so spectacularly for Souths with Latrell Mitchell last season could surely work for Manly, and if Trbojevic’s demeanour at his media conference on Tuesday is anything to go by, Knowles could yet again turn out to be the saviour.

Echoing the message of Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who also spent time working with Knowles during January, Trbojevic said “going there was not about a timeline” but rather “what I can do to become a better athlete and become more sustainable in the long term”.

“Bill shows you a reason behind everything you are doing and he’s very good at the detail.

“The first few days was like an assessment for Bill and he gets an understanding of where you are at as an athlete and from there he can develop a plan on how you can improve your athletic performance.

“He isn’t just worried about the hamstring but more about making you a better athlete - how can we improve your athletic performance to make everything work as a symphony, that’s one of his things.

“It’s good mentally in that it provides you that direction as to where you need to go. It’s not an overnight fix it’s a long-term process. Preparation is key, how you structure a week.”

For Sea Eagles fans who watched in horror as their team won just six of 17 games without him last season, Trbojevic’s return can’t come soon enough, and all signs point to the 26-year-old suiting up against the Bulldogs at a packed 4 Pines Park in the NRL season opener on March 4.

“I’m definitely on track to play in Round 1,” Trbojevic declared on Tuesday.

“I have taken a patient approach, there’s still a few things to work on but the body is feeling really good.

“There’s been a lot of changes at our club but everyone is really positive and we’re all just keen to get out there and put on a performance for our fans.”

The imminent return of the man who scored 28 tries in 18 games in 2021 and at times looked like he was playing on another stratosphere is a huge boost for new coach Anthony Seibold, who will base much of his strategy around Trbojevic’s attacking genius.

“We wanted to provide Tom with the best opportunity to be the best athlete, so that’s why we sent him to Bill Knowles,” said Seibold.

“It has been seven weeks since he had the injury at training and there has been a lot of hard work go into the last seven weeks with Tom and I feel we have provided the best avenue for Tom to recondition his body.

“The big learning here is trying to cater for Tom and others in our group as individual athletes and to identify what weaknesses or areas Tom can improve in his running mechanics.”

Photo courtesy Alfred Naupoto (Manly Media)