Tom Trbojevic 'will be right' for NRL finals as Manly rocked by brutal double injury blow

Manly have revealed Tom Trbojevic suffered a Grade 3 AC joint injury but are confident he will be able to play through the pain in the first week of the NRL finals. Trbojevic hurt his shoulder in the Sea Eagles' win over the Bulldogs on Friday night, while winger Jason Saab went down with a syndesmosis ankle injury.

Speaking after the game, Manly coach Anthony Seibold said Trbojevic "will be right" for the opening week of the finals, easing concerns of Sea Eagles fans. The 27-year-old underwent scans on Saturday, which showed no immediate surgery is required.

However the scans revealed a Grade 3 injury, which indicates a complete tear of the AC joint ligaments. Under normal circumstances, Trbojevic would be expected to miss multiple weeks, but he'll likely play with the aid of pain-killing injections during the finals.

Seibold said the superstar fullback won't play next week against Cronulla, but should be able to suit up in a fortnight's time for the playoffs. "It's an AC joint injury, and with pain management you can needle them up and play, which I am sure he will do," Seibold said.

"We'll put a plan together for him and make sure we look after him. And all going well he will be right to go again. The good thing is those types of injuries aren't season-ending. There is some pain there, and he will be a bit sore and sorry for the next few days. But he will be right to go for week one."

As for Saab, the prognosis isn't as good. The giant winger suffered a syndesmosis injury in a hip-drop tackle and appears to be facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines. According to 'NRL Physio' Brien Seeney, Saab could be looking at six weeks out depending on the severity of the issue.

With one game remaining until the finals and Manly forced to play elimination games because they won't finish in the top-four, it could be season-ending for Saab. And with Trbojevic not at 100 per cent, the Sea Eagles' premiership hopes have taken a huge hit.

Manly breath sigh of relief after Luke Brooks escapes ban

The Sea Eagles have Tolu Koula or Lehi Hopoate to slot in at fullback against Cronulla next Sunday, while Clayton Faulalo or Ben Trbojevic could also come into the backline to replace Saab. And Manly were also facing concerns over Luke Brooks, who was placed on report for a dangerous throw in the second half against the Bulldogs and would have faced a two-game ban if handed a grade-two charge.

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The five-eighth was superb as the Sea Eagles stunned the Bulldogs 34-22, setting up two tries and forcing a one-on-one strip in the lead-up to another. But there were concerns he might miss the first week of the playoffs if the match review committee came down hard on him, which would add to the playmaker's 11-year wait to play finals footy. Thankfully for the Sea Eagles he escaped a ban on Saturday morning.

"He's playing good footy, there is no doubt about that," halfback Daly Cherry-Evans said of Brooks post-game. "It's great to see him grow in confidence. I think it's only natural when you go to a new club it takes you a while to find your feet.

"He didn't take long, but as the year has gone on he has felt more and more comfortable. He is just taking games on. He gets to play finals footy this year, and I am really happy about that."

with AAP