Trbojevic sidelined by injury on eve of finals

Tom Trbojevic will sit out Manly’s final home-and-away game of the season after suffering a shoulder injury during his side’s 34-22 win over Canterbury.
In a statement on Saturday, the Sea Eagles revealed that Trbojevic had sustained a grade three AC shoulder injury which will sideline the star fullback for one match.
The club confirmed that Trbojevic will be fit for week one of the finals.
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Injured players Jason Saab and Tom Trbojevic of the Sea Eagles after their round 26 win over the Bulldogs. Cameron Spencer via Getty Images
The Sea Eagles put on a “clinic” in handing the Bulldogs their first Accor Stadium loss of the season.
But the win came at a heavy toll, with injuries to two big names.
Jason Saab was first to go down late in the first half with a suspected syndesmosis before Trbojevic came off just after the hour mark with a suspected AC joint injury.
On Saturday, the Sea Eagles said Saab would undergo scans that afternoon on a high ankle sprain.
He is expected to miss several weeks.
Trbojevic suffered the injury as he and Luke Brooks put a tackle on Jacob Preston. The weight of the two men came down on his right arm.
To make matters worse, he wore Preston’s elbow to the forehead, which opened up a gash that bled profusely.
Tom Trbojevic was left bloodied and clutching at a shoulder injury during his side’s clash with the Bulldogs.  Fox League
Unsurprisingly, he was assessed for a HIA but passed. The Sea Eagles will play the Sharks next week, likely for either a home final or a double chance.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold predicted that Trbojevic would miss the club’s round 27 clash with the Sharks, but believed he’d be right to go for week one of the finals with a painkiller.
“He’ll get an X-ray or a scan. He will be right for round one of the finals – it’s something they can take the pain away,” Seibold told media.
“He won’t be right for next week, but that’ll be verified through the x-ray or MRI and then we’ll put a plan together for him.”
Trbojevic was left bleeding profusely. Getty
Playing his 150th game for the club, Trbojevic had also copped a hit to the shin from Viliame Kikau as the Bulldogs second-rower surged to the line.
“He was in the wars tonight … he’ll be sore the next few days,” Seibold said.
But while the news was positive for Trbojevic, Seibold was far less confident about Saab.
He said the full extent of his star winger’s injury wouldn’t be known until after scans, but he was preparing to be without him for several weeks.
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The Bulldogs hadn’t lost a match at Accor Stadium all season but hadn’t played at the venue for two months.
They started in the best possible way with Reed Mahoney scoring barely 90 seconds into the contest. They led for barely five minutes before Manly hit back, and that was the last time they would do so for the rest of the match, but much of it through the sheer tenacity of the Sea Eagles.
The Bulldogs have been the best defensive team in the competition, but the Sea Eagles were able to pick through it as easily as a seagull grabs a loose chip on the Manly corso.
And when they were down the other end, Manly’s defence was more than up to it. Most notably when Tolatau Koula somehow managed to stop what looked to be a certain Jeral Skelton try.
When Reuben Garrick scored in the 51st minute – which would be the final Manly try – Fox Sports commentator Dan Ginnane quipped they had put on a “clinic”.
Matt Burton failed a HIA just after the hour mark to make things harder for the Bulldogs.
Preston and Reed Mahoney scored a late try each to give the Bulldogs a sniff of a comeback, but it wasn’t enough.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said Burton’s concussion came from a friendly-fire head clash with teammate Connor Tracey, but was unclear whether or not he’ll miss the side’s round 27 clash with the Cowboys.
He said it was the first time all season he’d left the coach’s box disappointed in his side’s defence.