The Sea Eagles have made a significant change in leadership with Jake Trbojevic appointed co-captain alongside younger brother Tom who is expected to make a return from a hamstring injury next week when Manly take on the Bulldogs.
Tom was appointed sole captain and chosen to replace club legend Daly Cherry-Evans who joined the Roosters this year.
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The superstar fullback endured a rocky start with the club losing its first three matches which saw coach Anthony Seibold sacked.
But the club has turned things around under Kieran Foran who has gone from assistant to interim coach to the man tasked with leading the Sea Eagles for the next three years.
He’s made huge changes to their footy on the field, and he’s now made a big move off it with Jake promoted to the co-captaincy after leading Manly with aplomb while his brother was out injured.
Barnstorming back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu will be Manly’s sole vice-captain and will have a point to prove next week after he was dropped from the NSW side.
“Tom and Jake are the natural leaders of this group, and it makes sense to have them as co-captains,” Foran said.
“Jake has done an amazing job in Tom’s absence and we knew he would. He stepped up when the team needed him. That’s what leaders do.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 23: Jake Trbojevic of the Sea Eagles runs the ball during the round 12 NRL match between Manly Sea Eagles and Gold Coast Titans at 4 Pines Park on May 23, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Haumole has also been wonderful this year, not only in his performances but also in the leadership he brings to the group.
“Right now, what’s best for the team is to have both Tom and Jake sharing the captaincy, supported by Haumole as vice-captain. It’s a pretty straightforward decision to be honest.
“We are lucky as a group to have two legends of the club leading the way.”
Jake has shown his passion for the Sea Eagles over the years and will play on in 2027 despite fears at the start of the season that this would be his last in the NRL.
“I’ve just loved the past few months, and I’ll do whatever is best for the team,” he said.
“If Foz (Foran) and Tom want this, then I’m all in.
Leading this amazing group of players and playing for this great club is a privilege.”
— Martin Gabor (NCA NewsWire)
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REYNO DOWNPLAYS INJURY CONCERNS
Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds was in no mood to discuss his health concerns following Thursday’s ugly loss to the Rabbitohs, with the veteran playmaker insisting he came off because of cramps as they slumped to a sixth loss in a row.
Reynolds took an early interception and was ultimately chased down by South Sydney forward Lachlan Hubner, with the playmaker clutching his left hamstring.
He stayed out there but appeared to be in significant pain midway through the second half of their 48-6 loss, with Reynolds coming off with 20 minutes to go and emerging from the tunnel with a giant bag of ice around his left hamstring.
“I’m right, just tight,” he said after the game, insisting it was simply cramps.
Already without injured stars like Patrick Carrigan and Gehamat Shibasaki, Brisbane could now lose Ezra Mam to an AC joint issue after he came off minutes after Reynolds left the field.
Mam has come off the bench in the past two games, with the five-eighth having some nice moments on Thursday night before he hurt himself while making a try-saving tackle on Ed Kosi in the corner.
Adam Reynolds speaks to media.Source: FOX SPORTS
He was clearly in pain and struggled to pass, but he stayed on for a few sets before he was eventually taken off.
“I have to talk to the doctors. It’s just an AC, so we have to work through that,” Maguire said.
“He did his AC and it just got too hard for him to stay out there.”
The Broncos have the bye next week but that might not be enough to save their season with the premiers in freefall after falling to their sixth loss on the trot.
Brisbane is in the bottom four and has a brutal run coming up, but their coach is adamant that their premiership defence isn’t over as they look to avoid becoming the first champions since the 2005 Tigers to miss the finals the following season.
“We’re still well and truly alive,” Maguire declared.
“People will probably think I’m mad, but one thing I do know is I’ve got a number of guys that are not on the field at this present moment. And as a group, we said we’re not going to use that as any sort of excuse or anything like that.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 06: Ezra Mam of the Broncos is seen coming from the field during the round 14 NRL match between Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium, on June 06, 2026, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“But they’ll all come back and there’s a lot of quality there that I know that can come back into the team. So although we’re probably in a bit of a tough hold at the moment, we will get those boys back at some stage.
“We all know what the team’s capable of doing, so once they get back (things will improve). We’ve got to get through this little period now, which is tough for all of us. We don’t like going through it, but it can also be the making of us.
“These guys have had plenty of experience together. They’ve been through some tough times, they’ve been through some good times.
“I think they just have to come together like we do. I thought our prep this week was spot on, but it didn’t turn out onto the park so we’ve got to dig deep amongst ourselves to find that because I know I’ve got a team here.”
— Martin Gabor (NCA NewsWire)