Jake Trbojevic was still struggling to see out of his right eye on Sunday, but declared himself a certain starter for Manly as they chase a third straight win against the Cowboys on Thursday.
And should the Sea Eagles continue to climb the ladder under caretaker coach Kieran Foran, Trbojevic said he was leaning towards playing on for another 12 months instead of retiring.
It has been widely reported Trbojevic has until round 10 to take up an option in his contract for 2027, but the 32-year-old said there was no such deadline – it is more a case of a “gentleman’s agreement” with the club.
Trbojevic was forced out of the win over St George Illawarra approaching the half-hour mark on Friday night, when TV cameras captured the inspirational forward on the bench with his eye completely shut. He also received stitches for a cut beneath his eye.
“It didn’t hurt, I wasn’t concussed, which was the main thing, but it closed up so quickly that I could no longer see,” Trbojevic said on Sunday.
“I did it making a tackle. It’s slowly opening today. I still look absolutely glamorous.
“But I’ll be all good for Thursday. I’m honestly fine. If I could open my eye, I would have kept playing the other night.”
After slumping to three straight losses, which resulted in the axing of coach Anthony Seibold, the Sea Eagles have posted wins over the Dolphins and Dragons. They meet the Cowboys, who dropped their opening two games, only to win their past four, including a last-minute triumph over the Broncos.
Trbojevic praised Foran and the immediate impact he has had on the group, and said on-field success would make it easier for him to commit to playing on beyond this year.
Whether the club appoints Foran permanently, or pursues another coach, would not sway Trbojevic’s decision, he said.
“‘Foz’ was such a great competitor and leader as a player, he was such a passionate person, and all of those qualities have rubbed off on the playing group,” Trbojevic said.
“Winning definitely helps everything. Hopefully we can keep building on the last couple of games.
“I love Manly, I want to play for Manly and whoever the coach is [moving forward] won’t worry me too much.
“I just want to make sure I can keep offering my best self – I want to keep playing to the level that is acceptable.
“That’s what I’ll base my decision on. There’s no real deadline. There’s a certain respect from both sides.
“It’s still early, but if we keep improving like this, it will make my decision easier. It’s a lot more enjoyable when you’re winning.
“But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I know it’s only been a couple of wins, and it’s still early in the year. We just need to keep building. I’m only worried about Thursday. I only have one eye on the Cowboys.”
Meanwhile, Penrith will be without back-rower Liam Martin with club medical staff confirming he suffered a high-grade medial cruciate ligament injury against the Bulldogs.
Martin is expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks, which would rule him out of the start of the State of Origin series. Scans this week will give a better idea about his return date.
It has been a frustrating start to the year for the 29-year-old, who suffered a grade-two calf tear in the pre-season that which forced him to miss the first two premiership games.
Canterbury’s Jacob Preston and Manly’s Haumole Olakau’atu loom as the front-runners for the Blues’ vacant right back-row spot.
