When Tom Trbojevic was announced as team captain for the 2026 season, he was a little lost for words.
Here is an uber elite player who has achieved so much in the game yet still humble in the extreme to be chosen as his team’s next leader.
He’s played for his country, he’s won three Origin series for NSW, he’s been voted Dally M Player of the Year, a three-time winner of the Roy Bull Best & Fairest at Manly, and he’s scored more tries in one season than any other player in Manly’s 80-year history.
But this is different.
To Tom, being chosen as captain is not so much an achievement, but a privilege.
You only have to look at the captain’s that have come before to see what a special thing it is.
Tom Trbojevic Sea Eagles Captain
“It’s such an honour to have that accolade next to my name and captain this great club.”
Tom will be the 63rd captain of Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the club’s 80th Anniversary season.
Let’s take a look at the list of all those who have come before him, going all the way back the team’s very first game against Western Suburbs at Brookvale Oval on Saturday 12th April 1947.
Max Whitehead was Manly’s inaugural captain in that very first game, leading the team on 12 occasions in the 1947 season.
THE CAPTAINS
1947 - Max Whitehead (12); Cyril McMahon (5); Mackie Campbell (1).
1948 - Ron O'Connell (11); Fred Brown (5); Max Whitehead (1); Cyril McMahon (1).
1949 - George Hunter (10); Fred Brown (6); Merv Gillmer (1); Cyril McMahon (1).
1950 - Kevin Schubert (11); Fred Brown (5); Cyril McMahon (2).
1951 - Wally O'Connell (18); Kevin Schubert (2); Fred Brown (1).
1952 - Wally O'Connell (16); Fred Brown (2); Kevin Schubert (1).
1953 - Roy Bull (13); Kevin Schubert (3); Fred Brown (2).
1954 - Rees Duncan (10), Roy Bull (4), Kevin Schubert (3); George Hunter (1).
1955 - Roy Bull (16), Rees Duncan (3).
1956 - Roy Bull (14); Kevin Schubert (2); Rees Duncan (2).
1957 - George Hunter (19); Ron Willey (2).
1958 - Ron Willey (15); Roy Bull (2); George Hunter (2).
1959 - Ron Willey (19); Roy Bull (2).
1960 - Ron Willey (18).
1961 - Rex Mossop (19).
1962 - Ron Willey (18).
1963 - Tony Paskins (12); Barry O'Connell (5); Rex Mossop (1).
1964 - Barry O'Connell (13); George Smith (2); Tony Paskins (2); Fred Pickup (1).
1965 - Frank Stanton (13); Fred Pickup (4); Ken Day (1).
1966 - Ken Day (14); Frank Stanton (5); Fred Jones (1).
1967 - Ken Day (16); Fred Jones (6).
1968 - Bob Fulton (20); Frank Stanton (4).
1969 - Bob Fulton (16); Fred Jones (8).
1970 - John McDonald (23); Fred Jones (2).
1971 - Fred Jones (21); John McDonald (2); Bob Batty (1).
1972 - Fred Jones (21); Malcolm Reilly (3).
1973 - Fred Jones (23); Bill Hamilton (1).
1974 - Bob Fulton (11); Fred Jones (7); Malcolm Reilly (5); Max Krilich (1).
1975 - Bob Fulton (21); Malcolm Reilly (4).
1976 - Bob Fulton (21); Ray Branighan (2), Terry Randall (2).
1977 - Ray Branighan (13); Ian Martin (6); Terry Randall (3); Max Krilich (1).
1978 - Max Krilich (15); Terry Randall (12); Graham Eadie (1).
1979 - Max Krilich (18); Alan Thompson (4).
1980 - Graham Eadie (14); Max Krilich (6); Tom Mooney (2).
1981 - Max Krilich (18); Terry Randall (5); Alan Thompson (1).
1982 - Max Krilich (22); Alan Thompson (7).
1983 - Alan Thompson (23); Les Boyd (2); Max Krilich (2); Ian Schubert (1).
1984 - Alan Thompson (23); Geoff Gerard (2).
1985 - Paul Vautin (20); Glenn Ryan (3); Tony Melrose (2).
1986 - Noel Cleal (12); Paul Vautin (9); Des Hasler (4).
1987 - Paul Vautin (23); Mal Cochrane (2); Noel Cleal (1).
1988 - Paul Vautin (20); Noel Cleal (3).
1989 - Paul Vautin (15); Mal Cochrane (5); Noel Cleal (1); Michael O'Connor (1).
1990 - Michael O'Connor (21); Cliff Lyons (2); Des Hasler (1).
1991 - Michael O'Connor (19); Cliff Lyons (3); Geoff Toovey (2).
1992 - Michael O'Connor (20); Cliff Lyons (2).
1993 - Geoff Toovey (15); Des Hasler (8).
1994 - Geoff Toovey (18); Matthew Ridge (5).
1995 - Geoff Toovey (15); Matthew Ridge (10).
1996 - Geoff Toovey (23); Matthew Ridge (2).
1997 - Geoff Toovey (25).
1998 - Geoff Toovey (25).
1999 - Geoff Toovey (21); Owen Cunningham (3).
2003 - Steve Menzies (24).
2004 - Steve Menzies (14); Michael Monaghan (9); Andrew Walker (1).
2005 - Michael Monaghan (25).
2006 - Ben Kennedy (21); Matt Orford (5).
2007 - Matt Orford (21); Brent Kite (4); Michael Monaghan (2).
2008 - Matt Orford (26); Jamie Lyon (1).
2009 - Matt Orford (25).
2010 - Jamie Lyon (22); Jason King (3).
2011 - Jamie Lyon (25); Jason King (16); Brett Stewart (1).
2012 - Jamie Lyon (26); Jason King (7).
2013 - Jamie Lyon (28).
2014 - Jamie Lyon (24); Brett Stewart (2).
2015 - Jamie Lyon (17); Brett Stewart (6); Matt Ballin (1).
2016 - Jamie Lyon (16); Jake Trbojevic (8).
2017 - Daly Cherry-Evans (25).
2018 - Daly Cherry-Evans (24).
2019 - Daly Cherry-Evans (21); Jake Trbojevic (4); Martin Taupau (1).
2020 - Daly Cherry-Evans (20).
2021 - Daly Cherry-Evans (25); Kieran Foran (2).
2022 - Daly Cherry-Evans (22); Jake Trbojevic (2).
2023 - Daly Cherry-Evans (22); Lachlan Croker (2).
2024 - Daly Cherry-Evans (24); Luke Brooks (1); Tom Trbojevic (1).
2025 - Daly Cherry-Evans (23); Tom Trbojevic (1).
2026 - Tom Trbojevic
Source: Sea Eagles Rugby League Almanac written by Jeff Petersen
