No sympathy for Turbo as Manly shuffle backs again

Jake Trbojevic will never forget the sound he heard after brother Tom Trbojevic tore his left hamstring at Lottoland in the Sea Eagles round four win over South Sydney.

"It was sad to see him go down but then you heard the hill – I mean it just dropped with all these gasps," Trbojevic said.

Tom will now be out between six to nine weeks to get the injury right again.

Jake couldn't speak with him until after fulltime when everyone was back in the dressing rooms, about to sing the team song after the nail-biting 13-12 win.

"It's hard to know what to say. Obviously it's disappointing, especially since he just came back from injury. But that's the footy and just the way it goes sometimes," Jake Trbojevic added.

"He was unlucky so he'll just have to work hard and get back as soon as possible.

"He's pretty cruisy so he now he just has to get stuck into his rehab and get it right. But he's disappointed because he worked so hard to get back – didn't want to miss too many games at this time of year – and now he's out again.

"He knows how to keep his chin up. He was just happy we got the win."

But that's where the sympathy ends. The brothers still live at home but Jake is not bringing Tom breakfast in bed, or making him the odd cup of coffee.

"Screw that," Jake said laughing. "I felt sorry for him for about 10 minutes and that was it.

"Look he's got one of those 'Game Ready' machines so he's constantly icing and compressing his leg.

"So he just sits there on the couch, watching TV, and ringing his bell. Mum is helping him out a bit."

If rehab progresses well, Tom might sneak in one or two games before Brad Fittler names his NSW Origin team for the series opener on June 5.

"It's just about getting it [leg] right as soon as possible. He can't be thinking about State of Origin – it's way too early," Trbojevic said.

Jake, meanwhile, is preparing for the Knights on Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium, off the back of two straight wins for Manly.

"A couple of wins help everything," he said, after Manly dropped the opening two games against the Wests Tigers and Roosters.

"Now we've had two good wins in a row and beating Souths is something special," he said, tipping his hat to the strength of the Rabbitohs forward pack.

The Sea Eagles back five has had a fair bit of disruption early on in 2019. After centre Dylan Walker played in the trials, he was stood down from round one under the NRL's new 'no-fault stand-down' policy as he fights domestic abuse charges.

Centre Moses Suli was stood down by coach Des Hasler last week for not meeting club disciplinary standards, while Tom Trbojevic and Brendan Elliot have been in and out of the side due to the upheavals.

One constant has been left centre Brad Parker.

"Look, I think we'll be right," Parker told pan66.com. "We've trained a couple of new boys there during the pre-season for all sorts of situations.

"That's what Des has prepared us for – the things that just pop up – so someone else is ready to go if someone has to drop out.

"It's unfortunate for Tom but I've played a bit with Brendan now and I've got all the confidence in the world that he can fill the fullback spot.

"I like his approach and how relaxed he is. It's a pressure position – and I'd be freaking out if I had to fill in for Turbo  – but Brendan is really calm about it."