Near-miss at training gives Manly glimpse into future
Jasper Bruce |
Jake Trbojevic believes teenager Joey Walsh could be ready for NRL this year after a training scare gave Manly a glimpse into the future with their promising young halfback.
A hip flexor problem sidelined Luke Brooks midway through Thursday’s session but Manly are confident their five-eighth will line up against Canterbury for an intriguing clash on Sunday.
“He’s been playing great footy so it’s great to have him out there,” Trbojevic said.
The upside of Brooks sitting out the session was the chance for Manly to spend extended time training with 19-year-old Walsh in the halves next to outgoing No.7 Daly Cherry-Evans.
Walsh is considered one of the brightest young half prospects of his generation and is rated a long-term starting playmaker at Manly.
But since completing the NRL pre-season, he has only infrequently had the chance to slot into the halves with the first-grade team at training.
He was considered not yet ready for the rigours of week-in-week-out first grade when Manly signed Jamal Fogarty to replace Cherry-Evans, whose impending exit has been one of the stories of the season.
But Walsh is excelling in reserve grade, with the latest chance to train with the big guns providing the team a look into the future.
“He goes good hey,” said veteran forward Trbojevic.
“He’s got a lot of skill but I think he’s quite tough, he tackles really hard. He’s only 18, 19 so obviously he’s quite young, he’s got a bit of learning to do.
“Jumping in there, he holds his own. If he gets a shot, whether it’s this year or next year, he’ll definitely do a good job.”
Manly’s season has undergone a makeover in the past six weeks.
The club appeared at rock bottom when they lost gun forward Haumole Olakau’atu to a shoulder issue during a 20-point loss to wooden spoon fancies Gold Coast in mid-June.
The mood was considerably different on Saturday, when the Sea Eagles confirmed a three-game winning streak with their first win over Melbourne at AAMI Park since 2019.
“It’s definitely polar opposites,” Trbojevic said.
Broadcast cameras caught Trbojevic, one of rugby league’s friendliest characters, kicking over a group of water bottles in jubilation after the win over the Storm.
“I was just overjoyed and then felt like an idiot after and the fact that it got caught on camera, that wasn’t ideal,” he said.
Olakau’atu’s return to face second-placed Canterbury is another boost for Manly but Trbojevic is wary of becoming carried away, with one slip-up enough to push a side to the back of the peloton in the top-eight hunt.
“It’s been a nice little turnaround but it has only been three weeks,” he said.
AAP
