Tommy destroys Titans
GIVEN his influence on the Manly side, Tom Trbojevic is arguably the most valuable player in the NRL after he inspired the Sea Eagles to a convincing 34-0 win in Mudgee.
The Sea Eagles looked hopeless in attack in the opening five rounds and scored just eight tries, but they had half of that tally in the first half alone against the Titans and it was all thanks to a masterclass from their returning fullback.
Tommy Turbo (pictured) had 166 metres, eight tackle busts, two try assists and a try in the first half alone to help Manly to a huge 26-0 lead at the break.
“Tom Trbojevic is back wheeling and dealing,” Warren Smith said on Fox League. “Tom Trbojevic is carving the Titans up,” Steve Roach added.
Michael Ennis lauded Trbojevic’s ability to turn the Sea Eagles’ attack from virtually non-existent to lethal in the space of one 80-minute performance.
“It has been an incredible first five rounds of the season where all the talk around the Sea Eagles has been around can one player make such a difference?,” Ennis said of Trbojevic. “Well the first half just explains it all. He was absolutely stunning. That first half from Tom Trbojevic was brilliant. He was exceptional.
“He split the Gold Coast Titans through the middle. He hit them out wide. He absolutely ripped Patrick Herbert apart on that left-hand-side. That was as good as it gets.”
“Absolute five star performance,” Cooper Cronk added.
“We spoke about him in the pregame and he absolutely lived up to everything and more because down that right flank for the Titans they are getting carved up.
“It was also the ball-playing of Josh Schuster that allowed Trbojevic to be out one wider a bit like Glenn Stewart back in the glory days.”
Trbojevic finished with a whopping 202 metres, nine tackle busts, an offload, two linebreak assists, two try assists and a try in a superb comeback performance.
They may have had to contend with Tom Trbojevic as no other side has had to do this season, but the Titans were abysmal against the previously struggling Sea Eagles.
Gold Coast were blown off the park by a team that has struggled to score points this season and there are now serious doubts around their topfour credentials.
“It looked like the Titans were not ready for Tom Trbojevic to play a big game to be honest with you,” Mal Meninga said.
“They allowed him to dominate. The Manly side started really well. They ran harder.
“Their middle was really good. They allowed Tommy to play off the back of the quick play-the-balls.
“Tommy just ripped them apart through the middle on the back of the quick play-theballs. Their line speed was a lot better. They totally outplayed the Titans.”