The Manly Sea Eagles have lost Tolutau Koula in the opening play of their sudden death semi-final against the Sydney Roosters, but in good news, lock forward Jack Trbojevic won't face the same fate.
It was a disastrous start for the Sea Eagles, with both Koula and Trbojevic taken from the field in the opening 30 seconds.
Koula, attempting to tackle Roosters' forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves in the opening tackle of the game, wore a forearm and was unable to get back to his feet.
He was quickly graded with Category 1 concussion symptoms by the NRL's independent doctor and was ruled out of the contest without a chance of returning.
In the very next play, it was Jake Trbojevic who went to ground coming out of a tackle.
Questions are sure to be asked of the independent doctor in the bunker, after it was decided Trbojevic was only to be graded with Category 2 concussion symptoms.
That was despite the fact he got up and was clearly showing signs of being concussed, with precedence and consistency seemingly having him desinted for a Grade 1 concussion call.
Trbojevic's return helps the Sea Eagles enormously, with the champion lock forward and New South Wales State of Origin captain playing big minutes each week for his club.
Ben Trbojevic has moved into the centres for the remainder of the game to replace Koula, with Manly's 18th man - Clayton Faulalo - only a single concussion away from being brought into the game.
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Tackle 2026 NRL Season Guide! Packed with 130+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 NRL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.

























