‘Splat!': Tom Trbojevic cops a huge Wests Tigers hit in brutal act
Prior to Friday night's 18-point win over the Wests Tigers, Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic said he was 'excited' at the prospect of playing in the centres for just the second time since 2017.
One of the great fullbacks in the modern game, 'Turbo' was shifted to right centre by Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold to allow Lehi Hopoate to move into the No. 1 jumper.
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While the home side got the job done 28-10 at 4 Pines Park, just 11 minutes in the 28-year-old Trbojevic may have been regretting the decision to be so accommodating.
With Manly attacking the Tigers' line, Daly Cherry-Evans found Hopoate, who moved the ball to Trbojevic as the home team chased the game's first points.
But Tigers winger Jeral Skelton had other ideas, lining Trbojevic up and landing a crunching tackle that brought everyone watching out of their seats.
Watch the big hit in the video player above
'Oh Tom! Tom has caught a beauty there,' Andrew Voss screamed on Fox League.
'Jeral Skelton, he's knocked himself about but he's taken out the main man. Call him the sniper.'
Cooper Cronk added: 'Skelton has launched himself into Tom Trbojevic, rattles the cage of the Manly centre.
'I think he's also rattled himself because he's come up ginger. That was a big shot.'
Voss then followed up: 'It was Kamikaze-like. I don't know if I've seen Tom get hit like that in his career.
'Welcome to the centres Tom.'
While a sore Trbojevic was able to battle on, Skelton did indeed come off second best, with the independent doctor calling for a category 2 Head Injury Assessment test.
But plenty of footy fans took to social media to comment on the brutal hit.
The NRL News account on X wrote: 'Jeral Skelton puts a bellringer on Tommy Turbo but he's the one that has to come off for a HIA.'
Sports journalist Lachlan Jeffery tweeted: 'That was a Kamikaze tackle by Jeral Skelton.'
Señor Mick offered simply: 'SPLAT!!!!'
Others were left questioning the decision to shift the injury-prone Trbojevic from his favoured position.
Racing reporter Neil Evans declared: 'What a ridiculous decision to play Turbo in the centres!! 'Give him some freedom' Spoonbold said thru the week .. ffs there's 10 times more freedom at the back. Lol.'
X account @OGHustle_Rugby asked: 'You'd stick Turbo on the wing or FB wouldn't you?? Let's play Mr Injury in the centres. Nice one you knuckles.'
In a poor first half of footy, the Sea Eagles finally cracked the Tigers' tryline in the final minute and Turbo was heavily involved.
With all the play down the left side of the field, Manly was repeatedly repelled by Wests' defensive line.
'Tom's getting a cold out at right centre,' Voss quipped. 'He's watching on with binoculars.'
On the last tackle, Trbojevic finally got his chance, taking a cut-out ball from Luke Brooks and laying off a superb flick pass to Jason Saab who did the rest, scoring in the corner.
'Tom offloads to Saab, finally Tom gets a touch, and it's a golden one for the first try in the final minute of the opening half,' Voss said.
Reuben Garrick nailed the sideline conversion for a 6-0 lead at the break.
Leading up to the game, Trbojevic conceded he had no idea whether his move to centre would be permanent.
Trbojevic's yardage has been solid in recent weeks, but he'd broken just five tackles in his past six games leading into Friday night after busting 83 in 20 matches last season.
'I had a lot of input from the coaches, but we've got someone like Lehi there who's very good at fullback,' Trbojevic said on Monday.
'I'm not unfamiliar with playing centre, I've done it before. It'll be a different challenge for me and one I'm excited for.
'It (the move) wasn't really on my mind, but the way that Lehi has been playing (made it easier) and I haven't been playing my best footy.
'It is what it is. I just love playing footy, and playing centre is something else on a footy field and it's no different to me. I just have to go out there and give it a go.'
He may have had second thoughts after Skelton's crunching tackle, but he ran out the half well and looms as a key figure in the second 40 minutes.
Manly then took control of the match after halftime, building a 16-0 lead with 30 minutes remaining.
Benji Marshall's Tigers briefly had some momentum after Alex Seyfarth's 51st minute try, but the Sea Eagles regained control to record a comfortable win.
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