Trbojevics share an appetite for success and food
WHILE there will be no love lost if they meet on the field tonight, Queensland firebrand Josh McGuire says he is delighted to see great mate Tariq Sims finally get his chance to run out for the Blues.
Sims and McGuire rose through the ranks together in the Brisbane Broncos’ under-20 system before Sims left to join the Cowboys.
“I grew up with Taz, he played at the Broncos in the 20s and I played with his brothers (Ashton and Korbin) as well,” said McGuire, the man NSW fans love to hate and the Maroons’ toughest enforcer.
“He’s a really good fella and he’s been waiting for his opportunity for a long time for Origin and he’s finally got it, which he deserves.
“I’m happy for him because he’s definitely an Origin-level player.”
Don’t expect McGuire to do his mate any favours tonight, though, with the Maroons preparing for a match that is anything but a dead rubber to them.
“It’s a State of Origin game – we go into it wanting to win the game,” McGuire said.
“Nobody wants to lose in a whitewash and it will hopefully put us in good stead for next year if we can take a win into the next series.”
This year’s Origin experience has been different for McGuire, after making his Origin debut in game one, 2015, the year after the Blues’ last series victory.
“I’ve never lost a series (before now). It’s different to winning one, that’s for sure,” he said.
“It’s disappointing. It’s something that as a rugby league player you have to get used to.
“Obviously there’s always got to be a winner and you can’t win all the time.
“I’m disappointed but now it’s just about playing good, consistent footy and hopefully we put in a good effort and I get another opportunity to have a crack at them next year.”
The Queensland forwards have copped criticism this series, but McGuire describes talk of a lack of punch as just “opinions”.
“People are just going to have opinions. That’s what it is, it’s someone’s opinion,” he said.
“I feel we were pretty unlucky not to get game two. I think our boys in the middle did a pretty good job.
“But people are going to have their opinions and people are entitled to their opinions.
“As players, we’ve just got to roll with the punches and cop whatever comes on the chin.” — Emma Greenwood FEEDING Jake and Tom Trbojevic is an expensive exercise, especially when they live at home and don’t even pay board.
The Blues brothers are hungry to deliver NSW a 3-0 series whitewash in tonight’s State of Origin match but tomorrow they’ll return home, where their mum, Melissa, pays a whopping $700 a week for groceries.
This week, Mrs Trbojevic revealed the shopping receipts she racks up in a week feeding her husband John and her footy-playing sons Jake, Tom, Luke and Ben.
“About $700,” she said of her weekly shopping spend on the family.
“There is a lot of food, lot of shopping, lot of cooking. The trolley is full of meat, chicken, vegetables, fruit and a bit junk food, more for the younger ones.”
The cheeky pair has even swapped board for a night of cooking.
“No, they don’t (pay board) – but that’s why they cook. That’s their thing,” Mrs Trbojevic said.
Not that she’s looking for Jake, 24, or Tom, 21, to move out of their Mona Vale home anytime soon.
“We miss them when they’re away,” she said.
“We’re lucky. The kids all get on well, it’s really nice.
“The boys (Tom and Jake) cook one night a week when they’re home but they haven’t been home much lately.
“They buy the food (for that night) and work out what we’re having, which is good.”
Asked did he pay board, Jake said with a laugh: “Our parents look after us. Tom is worth more than me. Get into him.” Tom replied: “No way.” Jake admitted he enjoyed a big meal but threw some blame onto dad John, A-grade an player with Narrabeen in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
“My old man rips in too,” Jake said. “Growing up, we loved hooking into our food. Dad loves feeding us too.
“I’m pretty hopeless (at cooking). I throw it in the slow cooker because it’s easy. You come back and it’s done. You don’t have to do anything.
“Tom is actually getting pretty good at cooking. He’s going all right — it’s good for us, we learn a bit.”
Melissa and John will be in Brisbane for tonight’s match.
— Dean Ritchie