Trbojevic has been floated as a potential halves replacement for the Manly skipper.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold has refused to hose down talk about star fullback Tom Trbojevic switching to five-eighth when veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans (DCE) hangs up the boots. The issue has been the topic of hot discussion this week after reports emerged that DCE has had a change of heart about playing on in 2026 and that Manly were considering moving Trbojevic into the halves when the Sea Eagles skipper decides to retire.
Club legend Cliff Lyons said it would be ‘madness’ to move Turbo out of his best position at fullback, but it would potentially allow rising star Lehi Hopoate to take over the No.1 jersey and cement the youngster’s long-term future at the club. But while Seibold admitted Trbojevic would remain Manly’s fullback next season, he says the 28-year-old has proven he’s capable of playing numerous positions and has the ability to transition into five-eighth, like NRL legend Darren Lockyer did at the Broncos.
“I think Turbo can play any position in the backline,” Seibold said on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports radio. “He’s a super talented guy, really diligent and we saw what Turbo did playing for Australia during the off-season, playing in the centres, and we’ve seen what he’s done for Manly at fullback. I think he could play six but he’ll be our fullback in 2025.”
The biggest question around Turbo’s potential move to five-eighth would be around his kicking game, and whether he has the necessary skills in that department to complement Luke Brooks in the halves. The Sea Eagles No.1 is a devastating ball-runner and has the play-making ability to transition into five-eighth but has shown little to no evidence that he has the kicking game required to be an effective No.6.
Cherry-Evans does the bulk of the kicking for the Sea Eagles and the veteran half will leave a huge hole when he does decide to hang up the boots. DCE had previously indicated that he was keen to play on in 2026 but has reportedly backflipped on that plan and wants to see how next season plays out before making a call on his future.
The situation obviously makes it more challenging for Manly to plan beyond next season, sort out their salary cap and potentially chase replacements for the veteran or strengthen other areas of the squad. But Seibold – who signed a two-year extension with Manly this week – says after more than a decade of service for the club and a premiership with the Sea Eagles in 2011, DCE has earned the right to dictate the terms around his retirement.
Anthony Seibold happy to give DCE time to decide on future
“His preparation is outstanding so we’ll give him that opportunity to pause and take a breath,” the Manly coach added about his captain. “We’ve got some ideas about what we do post-Chez but I just want to really stay in the moment, enjoy the time we’ve got with Chez, he’ll be ready to perform consistently as well as he has the last couple of seasons.
We’ll allow him to have a good think about that. I’ve had some private discussions with Chez, I won’t talk about that publicly but he’s turning 36 (in February). “But I feel his last couple of seasons have been productive ones and we’ve got all our focus on 2025 and you allow the management to think about 2026 and beyond that.”
The Manly captain has been working closely with the club’s young halves and has earmarked schoolboy rugby sensation Joey Walsh as his potential successor at halfback. The 18-year-old will be part of the club’s 30-man squad next season after signing a three-year deal that ties him to the club until the end of the 2027 season and could be Manly’s long-term answer at No.7, if he lives up to the hype around Sydney’s northern beaches.
