Manly Sea Eagles head coach Anthony Seibold has revealed Tom Trbojevic's move to the centres is likely to become a permanent one.
A long-term fullback, Trbojevic has been hampered by injuries for much of his career, and Seibold has hinted previously at his desire to move Trbojevic to the centres.
It's a role he has filled brilliantly at representative level, and he was fantastic for Manly on Sunday afternoon during a win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Trbojevic's speed and footwork, as well as his height, make him an excellent option against other backline players around the competition, and with Lehi Hopoate the clear owner of Manly's number one jumper into the future, Manly can now finally experiment with where else Trbojevic can line up.
“(A permanent move) is what I want to have a look at,” Seibold said during his post-match press conference after the win.
“My gut feel was another good step in the right direction tonight.”
“(He was) really good again. I think the way he's able to inject himself on either side of the field is something that not a lot of other centres can do with the impact that he can have.
“It was really pleasing to see Turbo (Trbojevic) get a couple of tries.
“He's done it a lot at elite level, he's not done it much at club level, but I really like what I've seen in the next couple weeks."
Trbojevic is off-contract at the end of next year, and while it has been widely reported he doesn't want to play against Manly, there may be no choice if he wants to stay in the NRL.
Manly are hamstrung by salary cap issues, but also will be wary of overpaying for a player who has spent more time sidelined than on the field in recent years.
It recently emerged that Trbojevic could yet consider a foray to the English Super League if Manly can't reach his value - a value that will likely increase if he can string a number of consistent performances together in the centres for the remainder of 2025.
