There were fears a few weeks ago that Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic would miss the rest of the season after he was caught in an awkward tackle at the very ground he had been tipped to make his State of Origin debut.
It was a moment that left rugby league fans in disbelief as the highly-gifted speedster had his left leg trapped under the weight of David Mead as both men contested the bouncing ball during the double-header at Suncorp Stadium on May 13.
Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett feared the worst at the time, but thankfully Trbojevic received positive news with scans revealing a syndesmosis injury to his left ankle and an MCL sprain in his left knee that was set to sideline him for 6-8 weeks.
It was a timeframe that had fans letting out a collective sigh of relief, and incredibly Trbojevic returned a month earlier than expected in Manly's Round 14 win over the Knights.
While he only missed two club games, Trbojevic's setback meant he wasn't considered for the State of Origin series opener at Suncorp Stadium; a cruel blow given most people expected him to line up on the left wing.
"I didn't even think about it to be honest," Trbojevic told NRL.com when asked whether he thought his hopes of playing Origin had been dashed.
"Even in the weeks leading up to that Broncos game I wasn't thinking about Origin. I just wanted to play my best footy for Manly and help them get some wins because I love playing there and they were my only focus.
