Manly Sea Eagles star fullback Tom Trbojevic will become the latest NRL player to visit the United States of America in an attempt to avoid future injuries.
Trbojevic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain at training in December, continuing a long run of bad luck for the star fullback, who has suffered more injuries than most NRL players in the last five years.
The 26-year-old has played just 44 games (including finals) in the last four NRL seasons, with hamstring injuries being a major problem.
He will now follow South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell (who visited during the 2022 season) and Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (who is currently in the USA) in visiting renowned specialist Bill Knowles.
Trbojevic, who won the Dally M Medal in 2021 despite spending a chunk of the season injured, spent much of 2022 on the sidelines as his Sea Eagles side fell out of the finals.
The trip to the bottom half of the ladder followed a 2021 season where the club made the preliminary finals, while Trbojevic also missed State of Origin and the Rugby League World Cup in 2022.
In a club statement, Manly confirmed Trbojevic would have 20 sessions with Knowles over a ten-day period, with Trbojevic to fly to the USA on Saturday.
Trbojevic will be joined on the trip by Sea Eagles Rehabilitation Physiotherapist Andrew Lowndes, while the club will also release a video series on the trip.
The move to send him to the USA means Trbojevic can expected to be back in Australia in late January. With an eight-week recovery expected from the December training mishap, it's likely the star will be back for Round 1 when the Sea Eagles open their season with a Saturday afternoon clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, although not guaranteed.
It's unlikely new head coach Anthony Seibold will take any risks in rushing Trbojevic back, with Reuben Garrick filling in at the back during 2022 and able to continue in that role early in 2023 if need be.
