Matty Johns makes eye-opening call on permanent Tom Trbojevic switch at Manly Sea Eagles

Matty Johns has backed calls for Tom Trbojevic to play at centre for Manly in the NRL next season after the 28-year-old's starring role for the Kangaroos in their victorious Pacific Championships campaign. The Sea Eagles fullback made his return to the national side after a six-year absence and was brilliant playing at right centre, where he scored Australia’s first try of the tournament and then added two more against Tonga in Sunday's final.

Trbojevic was named in the centres by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga but was given a license to roam as he has done so successfully for the Blues at State of Origin level. Trbojevic popped up on both sides of the field and was a constant thorn in Tonga's side, with the Manly fullback also solid in defence.

Manly have an embarrassment of riches at fullback in their squad, with Tongan pair Lehi Hopoate and Tolu Koula, plus Reuben Garrick having all previously worn the No.1 jersey in the absence of Trbojevic. Few would argue that any of the contenders are better than Trbojevic, who won the 2021 Dally M medal playing at fullback during an extraordinary season for the Sea Eagles. He's also paid $1.2 million per season, which is fullback money and would exceed what any other centre in the NRL earns.

But Hopoate proved during the Pacific Championships that he is a superstar fullback in the making, showing his class in defence and attack for Tonga to be one of their most consistent performers. He made a number of try-saving tackles on Trbojevic in both matches - including a superb one in the final that ultimately denied his Sea Eagles teammate a hat trick.

Matty Johns backs call for Manly to play 'Turbo' at centre

Hopoate and Turbo were so impressive at fullback and centre for Tonga and Australia respectively, that NRL great Bryan Fletcher questioned whether it's time for Manly to move Trbojevic into a roaming centre role. "If you're Anthony Seibold after what we've seen at Origin level and now Test level, is there an argument to say 'well you can play centre so you can save your legs but when we've got the ball, good ball, you can just roam'," Fletcher asked on SEN radio.

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Johns says he sees plenty of merit in the idea and believes the Sea Eagles have a ready-made replacement for Turbo at fullback in the shape of 19-year-old sensation, Hopoate. "Yeah I reckon you can (switch Trbojevic to centre) because Lehi Hopoate at fullback, Lehi is just a class act," Johns said.

"So if you're going to play Tommy (Trbojevic) in the centres and just reduce his workload as far as running but just give him that bill to say 'Tommy if you're sitting up short side in attack and nothing is on just swing around the other side'. He's got the intelligence and the football smarts to do it. So I think it's worthwhile because I love Lehi Hopoate as a player, he's fantastic."

Trbojevic's injury history has led to calls for him to make a switch to the centres in the past, as a way of preserving his body. And Manly coach Anthony Seibold did experiment with the move in Turbo's first game back from a hamstring injury this year. But ultimately, the Manly coach switched Trbojevic back to his normal position and the superstar No.1 enjoyed a tremendous back-half of the season as his side charged into the finals.

Hopoate was also outstanding on the wing for the Sea Eagles in his rookie season and has proven he deserves to be part of Manly's best 13 going forward. But there is a school of thought that Manly would look a more balanced side if Turbo was to move into a roaming centre role, allowing Reuben Garrick to move back to the wing after a positional switch in 2024 exposed his deficiencies while defending at centre.