‘Very unfair’: Tom launches passionate defence of brother Jake after ‘disappointing’ criticism

Sea Eagles skipper Tom Trbojevic says recent criticism of his brother, Jake, has been “disappointing” and “unfair”, pointing out that numbers on a piece of paper don’t always tell the full story of a player’s impact on a team.

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Jake has been one of Manly’s most loyal servants since he made his debut in 2013, but there have been some calls for him to retire to protect himself and to allow the team to move on even though he has an option to re-sign for 2027.

The former NSW Blues skipper is one of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen, but Manly’s heart and soul player has come under fire for his lack of impact with the ball.

Trbojevic, 32, hasn’t scored a try, broken the line or busted a tackle since 2024, with the workhorse lock forward limited to just two carries for 15m in the Sea Eagles’ round 2 loss to Newcastle.

But his younger brother says stats don’t always paint the full picture.

“I think it’s a little bit disappointing that he is coming under fire,” Tom Trbojevic said.

“I think he’s really gone great after the first two weeks, the way he’s played, especially defensively. And I think a lot of people that watch the game and analysts get caught up in stats and what you need to do with the ball, but he’s a real leader for us in defence and the way he links our attack together as well.

“You look at someone that runs really hard, and people will appreciate how hard they’re running and getting quick play the balls and whatnot.

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“But in defence, it’s the same thing. If someone’s tackling hard and forcing errors in the back, it’s just as big a play, but it doesn’t get talked about as much.

“I’m not here to justify why he’s good enough. We in this club know he’s good enough and we really appreciate him as a footy player and as a person (because) he’s s an integral part of our team.

“So I really think it’s unfair that he is coming under criticism. The way he’s gone after these first two weeks, considering he’s coming off a head injury last year, has been great. So I think he’s only going to get better this year.”

Ben Trbojevic was equally supportive of his older brother, with both brothers keen to see Jake play on next year if he wants to.

“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but I don’t read into it too much,” he said.

“But I do feel like people do get caught up in stats a lot and not really look at the fundamentals of the game. And I feel like Jake’s been great for us these first two games, leading the line speed and all that.

“So everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I reckon he’s a big asset to this club and he will be going forward.

“I just think he leads the line speed. He’s one of the best forwards at just going after the game and really gets off the line and puts good hits on and it really lifts us as a team. I think people do get caught up in stats, but they’re entitled to their own opinion.

“He’s a natural leader. He gets very amped up and he gets the boys fired up and he’s a really important member to this team and he will be going forward.”

Jake is one of the nicest players in the NRL, which is why everyone who questions his future in the game stresses that it’s nothing personal given everything he’s done for Manly, NSW and Australia.

“I know Jake is a different character and he does get quite worked up, but I think he’s tough enough to know that journalists and analysts are entitled to their own opinion,” Tom said.

“What really matters is how you go out there and perform, and that’s what we’ll focus on.

“I’d imagine it (the criticism) would be uncomfortable (for him) because you come into training here and everyone here really appreciates what he brings and knows how important he is to this team. Not only as a player, but as a person.

“So like I said before, I think the commentary around him is very unfair and he’s an integral part of this team.”