Tom Trbojevic is assisted from the field by Manly Head Trainer Alex Ross (left) and Head Physiotherapist Andre Rickenbach.
Team-mates have rallied around injured Manly full-back Tom Trbojevic ahead of scans tomorrow.
Trbojevic suffered ankle and knee damage in the loss to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium last night after being tackled mid-air by Brisbane winger David Mead. Under the current rules, it was a legal tackle because the ball had bounced first from a towering bomb.
In falling awkwardly, Trbojevic lost possession of the ball, resulting in a try to the Broncos. Trbojevic was immediately carried from the field.
Manly Coach Trent Barrett called the tackle ‘dangerous’ and that Trbojevic ‘could be gone for the year’ with the left ankle injury causing the most concern. It is the not same ankle that he injured last season.
“Not only has it cost us the game, it’s cost us one of our best players,’’ Barrett said post-match.
"If it was on the full and he was in the air that doesn't happen or it's a penalty and it's a no try and we probably win.”
Trbojevic was in good spirits when he returned to Sydney with the team today. Scans will reveal the extent of the injury and the amount of time he will be out for.
Manly prop Brenton Lawrence said the rule of tackling a player in the air after the ball had bounced should be reviewed in the interests of player safety.
“It is probably something that we need to look at. You can’t tackle a guy in the air when he is trying to catch the ball. Because (the ball) bounced, it is allowed. I don’t see how that makes sense at all,’’ Lawrence said.
Centre Dylan Walker said he was ‘gutted’ for Trbojevic who was also considered a major chance of making his NSW Origin debut on May 31.
“He is one of those players you can’t replace. He is such a big part of our team in attack and defence. It would be really devastating if we lose him,’’ Walker said.
“To be honest, I thought David Mead was going for the ball as well. All you can ask for is a bit of consistency. It would be pretty devastating if you saw that in another game and another player going down.”
Lewis Brown said losing Trbojevic for any amount of time would be a ‘massive loss’.
“He has probably been our best player this season and adds a lot to our back five,’’ Brown said.
“You can see what the kid can do with the ball in hand. He can flip a game on its head. I am pretty sure he would have been a certainty for the NSW squad.
“Tommy has good people around him and we have got a good medical staff that can get him back on track as soon as possible.”
Brown also felt the current rule should be looked at.
“It obviously put him in a dangerous position. Maybe they might look at it (for a change). If it was caught on the full, it would be a penalty,’’ Brown said.
“I can’t see any difference in (it) bouncing. If he hadn’t had gone up and be taken out, it (the injury) probably wouldn’t have happened.”
Second-rower Frank Winterstein said the injury to Trbojevic was ‘pretty sad news’.
“The way he landed was pretty awkward. It was just one of those things with the NRL rulings. We will see what happens there if they move forward with that. If that’s the rules, that’s the rules,’’ Winterstein said.
“Tom would be a massive loss as he is in great form. He is knocking on the door for representative football. Fingers crossed for him.”
