Manly Sea Eagles head coach Kieran Foran has confirmed the club won't rush Tom Trbojevic back from his latest hamstring injury, but there may be bigger questions than his return date.
Trbojevic, who has a long history of hamstring injuries, has been missing since Round 7 for Manly when he suffered the latest problem against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Manly, who play the South Sydney Rabbitohs next weekend and then have a bye, are understood to be targeting a return after that, in Round 16 against the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Foran seemed to indicate that was still on track during his post-match press conference after a rare loss under his leadership against the Cronulla Sharks in the Shire on Friday evening to kick-off Round 13.
"Tommy is training really well and progressing nicely," said Sea Eagles coach Kieran Foran.
"We just want to give Tommy as much training load as we can to get himself feeling confident and back up and running."
The loss, which came with both Origin players Tolutau Koula and Haumole Olakau'atu out alongside Trbojevic, was just the second for the club since Foran took over at the end of Round 3, with Manly's only other defeat coming against the high-flying Penrith Panthers.
It means Manly have won seven of nine under Foran and are entrenched in the battle for a spot in the top four on the table.
While there is no rush to bring Trbojevic back, there will be a question about where he plays once he does.
The thought process, if you suggested this at the start of his injury, would have been that Lehi Hopoate was undroppable in the number one jumper.
But it's not him, but rather, Clayton Faulalo who has come from the clouds to demand selection in Manly's back five moving forward.
He was at his best again on Friday night, topping the metre count for Manly and scoring a try. In his third game at fullback, 177 is his lowest metre total, and he has scored a try in all three games there.
On one foot, Foran is blessed with a number of players who can play multiple positions, and Faulalo, who can play centre and wing as well as fullback, is one of them.
Reuben Garrick and Tom Trbojevic, like Faulaolo, can line up anywhere across the back five, while Lehi Hopoate can play either wing or fullback.
Tolutau Koula too could shuffle to the back if need be, while Jason Saab is the only player in the mix who is limited to a single position.
Unfortunately for Saab though, his performances must be starting to ask questions around whether he has a spot in the NRL side moving forward.
He made another three errors and struggled defensively. Saab's biggest two problems that have haunted him for much of his career were on full display against the Sharks, and the towering winger could now lose his place in the side unless he does something special against South Sydney.
Tom Trbojevic's position has been a constant talking point.
Does he play fullback, or does he take a slight backseat, putting less pressure on his injury-prone hamstrings by playing at centre or even on the wing?
It's fairly obvious what Trbojevic can do at centre - you only need to look at the 2021 State of Origin series as a result where he and Latrell Mitchell terrorised Queensland in all three games from the centres.
Given his performances then, Faulalo's efforts at the back, and the long-held view by many that Reuben Garrick would be far better off on the wing, there is an easy argument to be made that Saab is the one to miss out, with Manly going into their games after the bye with a back five reading Faulalo at fullback, Hopoate and Garrick on the wings, and Koula to be joined by Trbojevic in the centres.
Foran has had a very straightforward run to start his coaching career, with his side playing a simplified game plan.
It hasn't taken rocket science to figure out why Manly have improved since the axing of Seibold.
But this will be a real test for Foran. Six into five doesn't go, and one of his established players is the one who could, and maybe even should, lose his spot.
