Brendan Elliot knows he has ‘massive shoes’ to fill in replacing the injured Tom Trbojevic but the new Manly full-back is determined to be his own man.
With Trbojevic expected to be out for six to nine weeks with a hamstring injury, Elliot is focused on ensuring he performs at his best once again at full-back by playing his own style of football.
Elliot was solid at full-back in the opening two rounds before Trbojevic returned from a hamstring injury in the round three win over the Warriors.
“I’m excited for it. Every game I play there, I feel I am growing into it a little bit more,’’ Elliot said.
“It is very unfortunate for Tom and the team to lose someone of his calibre. I am just going to try and do my best for the team and improve on every game.
“They are massive shoes to fill. He is a champion player and we will definitely miss him.
“I am just going to do my best for the side and try and be safe at the back. It is about nailing my own role at full-back.”
Sea Eagles Coach Des Hasler is confident Elliot will again do a fine job after moving back to full-back when Trbojevic left the field in the win over Souths last Saturday.
“Brendan is just a real footballer. He is tidy in all those areas,’’ Hasler said.
“He is a thorough professional in the way he works and the way he prepares.”
Elliot said his ability to play several positions in the backline has been a blessing to a degree in a career that has now seen him play 43 NRL games.
“It works to my advantage that I can slot into any position but it is also a bit of a downfall as I seem to be the one that moves around a bit,’’ he said.
“I look at is a positive for me. Manly brought me to the club for that reason that I can play a variety of positions but it depends on how you look at it.”
