Corey Waddell described witnessing teammate Jake Trbojevic suffer his third concussion of the NRL season as “very confronting.” The Manly Sea Eagles are now rallying around their injured captain as they strive for a spot in the finals. Trbojevic will miss the critical match against the Wests Tigers on Sunday, and his availability for the following week’s game against the Dolphins remains uncertain.
Manly currently sits in tenth place and faces a precarious situation. A loss to the Tigers could severely diminish their playoff hopes. The Sea Eagles are already trailing behind the Dolphins and Sydney Roosters, making this weekend’s fixture essential for their chances of advancing to the finals.
Waddell, who is also Trbojevic’s brother-in-law, expressed his concern for the 31-year-old, who has played 241 games for the club. “It’s pretty tough… watching it happen is very confronting. Jake being my brother-in-law, I care for him so much,” Waddell said. He emphasized that Trbojevic’s health comes first, adding, “I know he’s in good hands. Hopefully, we see him back this year.”
Despite Trbojevic’s absence, Waddell believes the team will draw motivation from his leadership. “He’s forefront of the motivation for this team. He gets all the boys up,” Waddell explained. Known for his passionate on-field presence, Trbojevic often leads team huddles and inspires his teammates to give their all.
As Manly fights for a place in the finals, they find themselves in a competitive race for the eighth position, alongside the Dolphins and the Roosters. The Tigers and St George Illawarra also cling to slim hopes of making the playoffs, but Manly is currently a win and points differential behind the others.
For winger Jason Saab, the situation is less about pressure and more about opportunity. “No one’s expecting us to make the eight. So all that is just an opportunity to go and do that,” he said. Saab remains optimistic, stating that the focus is on winning the next four games. “Everyone’s decided to make the conscious decision that we’ve got four weeks left, we’ve got to get four wins. There’s an opportunity presented there.”
As the Sea Eagles prepare for their challenging match against the Wests Tigers, the impact of Trbojevic’s absence looms large. The team is determined to channel their efforts into securing a crucial victory to keep their finals aspirations alive.
