NSW Coach Michael Maguire says the passion, spirit and energy Jake Trbojevic has for the Blues jersey made him a natural selection as the State’s new Origin captain.
The Manly Sea Eagles lock has been chosen as the 21st captain of NSW and will lead the Blues out in Game One against Queensland at Accor Stadium on Wednesday, June 5.
Manly team-mate and skipper Daly Cherry-Evans will again captain Queensland, making it a great honour for the Sea Eagles to have both men lead their respective states.
Trbojevic becomes the third Sea Eagles player to captain NSW behind Geoff Toovey and Max Krilich in the Origin period.
Two-time premiership winning Manly five-eighth Alan Thompson and prop Roy Bull captained NSW in the Interstate Series prior to Origin starting in 1980. All five players are proud Manly juniors.
“You can’t ask for much more when Jake talks about the jersey and the passion he has for the Blues jersey,’’ Maguire said, clutching the NSW jersey.
“It’s something there that I’m really keen I guess from a team point of view. We are very fortunate, we are a big state, and there’s a lot that goes on in the state.
“There’s some people out in the country (experiencing) good times and tough times, and in the city.
"I guess Jakey to me represents a lot of that by the way he talks and the passion that he has towards what the jersey means.
“I’ve watched Jake for a long period of time. He wears his heart on his sleeve and I think that resonates with our people in NSW. That really made the decision for me pretty easy.
“I can’t wait to sit next to him. He will probably show emotion at times. He is a character and I want that in my captain, to show people what this jersey really means.”
Maguire said he could feel the excitement in Trbojevic's voice when he informed him of the captaincy role.
“I think he held his breath for a bit…he just went ooh, oh really,’’ Maguire smiled.
“You could just see the passion come out of him right there and then, exactly the reason why I wanted to go this way.
“He was that excited. He probably wasn’t sure where he sat from a team point of view but I think every time you see Jake wear the blue jersey, everyone can go well there’s reasons why there is passion, and there are reasons why people love playing with him.
“He is one of those characters, you love playing with him.
“I go back in history. You look at someone like ‘Turvey’, Steve Mortimer. When you are in this space, the passion of what those sorts of people bring, I guess Jakey represents a lot of that where people rally behind people.
“I see that as a big part of leadership at this level.”
