Manly will be sweating on the extent of another hamstring injury to star fullback Tom Trbojevic.
The Sea Eagles captain went down clutching his left hamstring in the 13th minute of the Thursday night clash with North Queensland in Townsville.
His history of similar injuries is long and the devastation was palpable.
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Trbojevic has now suffered eight hamstring injuries in eight years.
Former North Queensland star Brent Tate, on the sideline in commentary for Fox League, said it was “really disappointing to see”.
“He’s in the dressing room with a towel over his head and an ice pack on his left hamstring,” Tate said..
The Sea Eagles, great starters this season, opened the scoring through a try to winger Lehi Hopoate after slick work from five-eighth Luke Brooks.
Trbojevic exited the arena and Hopoate had his second in the 17th minute. The Cowboys hit back through prop Coen Hess, but when Manly half Jamal Fogarty kicked for Ben Trbojevic to chase through and score, the visitors led 16-6.
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater, in his 150th NRL match, spilled a kick. Hopoate swooped and could have scored himself but handed it off to hooker Brandon Wakeham for a 22-6 lead on the cusp of halftime.
Manly got some good injury news just before the break, with lock Jake Trbojevic passing a category-two HIA.
More to come …
