Trbojevic agrees to new extension with unique twist

Manly Sea Eagles veteran Jake Trbojevic has agreed to a new contract extension for 2027.

He will, however, hold off on activation to see how his run with head knocks plays out during the season.

It means if he were to continue with his bad run of luck, he may be forced to retire.

It saw 'Jurbo' concede three heavy concussions during the year, which was a rapid increase to a fairly concussion-free career up until then.

Trbojevic spoke with AAP regarding the extension ahead of the Sea Eagles fixture against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon.

"I just want to see how I go," Trbojevic told the publication.

"I did a lot of work in the pre-season, and a lot of contact.

"Last year was a bit disappointing with how it all went. Obviously just getting knocked out every second week was disappointing.

"So I want to see how I go and I want it to work for both parties. ... I was always going to play this year, so it doesn't change anything."

Trbojevic has donned the maroon and white his entire career and is widely considered the heart and soul of the peninsula-based club, and it is very unlikely he will play for another side.

The new deal will see Trbojevic take a pay cut from when he last signed on the dotted line back in 2019.

Trbojevic has donned a unique style of headgear for the 2026 season in a bid to reduce the amount of head knocks within the match.

The headgear claims to have reduced the risk of concussion, with an independent field study with Monash University to prove its effectiveness.

The trial will take place over two years and feature athletes from junior grassroots up to professional competitions across rugby league and Australian football.

With Jake's brother Tom agreeing on an extension for 2027, the pair are set to live out their entire careers in Sea Eagles colours despite murmurs of unrest within the club surrounding Tom's contract.