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Ben Trbojevic has spent his life looking up to his older brothers.
The Manly forward grew up desperate to follow in the footsteps forged by Jake and Tom as they charted a path to the NRL.
While proud to join the duo at the Sea Eagles, Ben concedes the Trbojevic surname has been a burden at times as he's attempted to forge his own path.
Being the younger brother of two NSW and Australian stars brings added attention and expectation, with the 23-year-old subjected to closer scrutiny since making his NRL debut in 2021.
Ben, however, has had to fly the flag on his own this year with both Jake and Tom struggling with injuries in the first half of the 2025 campaign.
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Ben Trbojevic Try
While disappointed not to have his brothers on the field with him, the edge forward has relished the opportunity to step into the spotlight and has emerged as one of the Sea Eagles' best in recent weeks.
"Earlier in my career it was tough [following my brothers]," Trbojevic told NRL.com. "I've learned to deal with it and I'm just going out there every week to have a crack and put my best foot forward.
"I'm proud of my last name and proud of my brothers so each week I want to perform for my team.
"I learnt a bit from last year so this year starting on the back of that, I'm more confident. I'm looking to perform well each week for the team and help us win games."
Manly will welcome one Trbojevic back to the field this week, with Jake set to return from a concussion in Thursday night's clash with the Knights.
Match: Knights v Sea Eagles
Round 14 -
home Team
Knights
15th Position
away Team
Sea Eagles
10th Position
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Tom remains a week away as he recovers from a corked thigh and was not named on Tuesday.
Sea Eagles staff are also managing the workload of halfback Daly Cherry-Evans as he navigates a busy Origin period. The Maroons captain was selected in the No.7 jumper for the Newcastle match but a final decision will be made on his availability after Wednesday's captains run.
While they've been without Tom and Jake, Ben has stepped up and his performances have turned plenty of heads both internally and externally.
Starting in the back row in 11 games this season, Trbojevic is averaging 103 running metres per match and has already scored three tries.
The youngster is on track for career highs in multiple statistical categories in his fifth season in the top flight, including running metres, tackles made and tackle efficiency.
Seibold said it's taken time for Trbojevic to become comfortable at this level but the Sea Eagles' patience is starting to pay off.
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Ben Trbojevic Try
"Having two brothers who have played Origin and for Australia, there was always going to be a lot of noise around Ben when he made his debut," Seibold told NRL.com. "He's forging his own career.
"His first month of footy and his last month of footy have been consistent and he's getting the reward for how he's preparing. He's growing up and becoming a man, which is a big part of it.
"He had a good pre-season, it's my third year here and third year I've been working together with Ben. I just want him to keep backing himself and keep playing consistent footy."
Manly will travel north desperate to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since Rounds 3-4. The Sea Eagles claimed a comprehensive 34-6 victory over the Broncos last week, with Lehi Hopoate starring at fullback.
Thursday's clash provides a new challenge, with skipper Kalyn Ponga back on deck for the Knights after he was rested last week.
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Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Top Tries of May
Consistency has been a key focus this season for both Trbojevic and the side as a whole, as they have struggled to string wins together.
The youngster is confident Thursday will be the next step in a winning run as they look to solidify their place inside the top eight.
"We've taken a lot of confidence out of [last week] but it's important for our team to back up that performance," Trbojevic said. "We've been a bit off this year with that.
"We have a big performance then the next week we've been off so a real focus this week is to go out there, be consistent and perform."
