Manly coach Anthony Seibold has taken aim at those who have criticised his handling of superstar Tom Trbojevic, claiming he can’t win when it comes to picking a position for the flyer.
Trbojevic was shifted to the centres for the Sea Eagles’ clash against the Wests Tigers on Friday night at 4 Pines Park, and put in a strong performance, laying on the first try of the game for winger Jason Saab.
As well as that try assist, Trbojevic also had a line break assist and had 18 runs for 125 metres, as Manly thrashed the Tigers 28-10 at home.
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Speaking in the post-game press conference, Seibold seemed to be frustrated.
“Everyone’s been telling me for the last 18 months, you need to put Turbo to centre because, physically it looks after him, and then when I do it, I get criticised,” Seibold said.
“I just want him to enjoy his footy, and I just thought if you put him to centre it frees him up a little bit.
“He’s playing next to (Daly Cherry-Evans), they’ve played a lot of footy together. He’s the Australian centre.
“Just to get him feeling good and feeling like when he’s at his best, just doing his thing.
“It’s not a forever thing. We’ll stick with it next week (against the Rabbitohs) I think and then we’ll take a breath and sort of see how it’s all shaping up after that bye (in Round 19).”
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Lehi Hopoate was moved to fullback, replacing Trbojevic in the position.
Hopoate’s statistics were similar to Trbojevic’s. Hopoate also had a try assist and a line break assist, and had 18 runs for 143 metres.
The victory ended a two-game losing streak for Manly, who now move back into the top eight.
While the win eased the pressure on Seibold, questions will still be asked of skipper Daly Cherry-Evans’ future, with the halfback not giving any more clarity on his next move.
“I’m probably not looking to make an announcement any time soon to be honest,” Cherry-Evans said.
“We’ve spoken about it as a team, we definitely don’t feel it (my future) is a distraction. There won’t be anything happening soon I dare say.”
When Cherry-Evans was pressed on the matter again later, he was once again emphatic in his stance.
“So we don’t go down a rabbit hole, I’ll clarify it one more time: I’ve made the decision so Manly were aware, and so I could afford myself the freedom to make a choice that was best for me next year,” Cherry-Evans said.
“When I do make that announcement, it will be because it’s the best situation for me and my future.
“The most important thing is how we play this year. Based on all the reassurances I’ve got (from teammates), we’ll focus on one week at a time, and try to play finals this year.”
