Tom Trbojevic: Salary, Injury, Heritage & Career Stats (2025)

Tom Trbojevic is the kind of player who makes you stop and watch—when he’s on the field. But staying on the field has been the challenge. Between a banged-up hamstring and a contract that could have paid more elsewhere, he chose loyalty, sacrificing roughly $400,000 a year to stay at Manly.

Full name: Tom Trbojevic ·
Position: Fullback ·
NRL team: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles ·
State of Origin appearances: 10 ·
Australia Tests: 7 ·
Instagram followers: 100K+

Ten key figures, one pattern: a player whose elite output is repeatedly interrupted by his body.

The data table confirms a star fullback earning below market rate—a calculated bet on team success.

How much does Tom Trbojevic get paid?

Tom Trbojevic’s current contract value

• Annual salary reported around $1.1 million AUD (ABC News).
• Zero Tackle lists 2026 salary at $1.3 million and 2027 at $900,000 (Zero Tackle).
• ABC reported his previous salary was back-ended at roughly $1.2 million for the 2025 season (ABC News).

The implication: Trbojevic’s willingness to take less makes him a cap-friendly star, but it also means he’s betting on team success over personal bank balance.

Salary cap context for Manly Sea Eagles

• Manly needed room to retain other key players like Daly Cherry-Evans and Haumole Olakau’atu.
• Trbojevic’s pay cut gave the club roughly $400,000 extra in cap space annually (ABC News).

The trade-off: Manly can build a deeper squad, but Trbojevic is carrying more risk if injuries shorten his prime.

Comparison with other top NRL fullbacks

James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga are both reported to earn north of $1.2 million, making Trbojevic’s $1.1M a relative bargain for a Dally M winner (Zero Tackle).

The gap between what he could command on the open market and what he actually takes is a direct measure of his loyalty—and it’s a rare commodity in modern rugby league.

Why did Tom Trbojevic make a $400k sacrifice to remain at Manly?

Reasons behind the financial sacrifice

• Trbojevic cited loyalty to the club that gave him his NRL debut (ABC News).
• He wanted to keep the core group together and give Manly the best chance at another premiership.
• His brother Jake Trbojevic is also at Manly, making it a family decision as much as a football one (YouTube – Trbojevic brothers feature).

The catch: taking less money means less financial security for a player whose injury history already raises questions about how many more high-earning seasons he has left.

Impact on his family and legacy

• Tom has described wanting to win multiple premierships with Manly, not just collect a bigger cheque elsewhere.
• He and Jake have become symbols of brotherhood in the NRL, playing side by side since 2015 (YouTube – Trbojevic brothers tribute).

Loyalty cost him about $400,000 a year, but it cemented his legacy as a one-club player who put team before wallet.

Is Tom Trbojevic Serbian?

Tom Trbojevic’s family heritage

• Trbojevic has Serbian ancestry through his father’s side; his father was born in Serbia and immigrated to Australia.
• An NRL.com feature traced part of his roots to the Dalmatian region of Croatia, noting 46% of his ethnicity is Balkan (NRL.com).
• He identifies proudly with his Serbian heritage.

Why this matters: for many fans, Trbojevic’s background adds another layer to his story—a player carrying the spirit of two cultures onto the field.

What happened to Tom Trbojevic?

Latest hamstring injury (April 2026)

• During a match against the Cowboys in Townsville, Trbojevic suffered a hamstring injury.
• Manly’s official update stated he was expected to miss 6–8 weeks (Manly Sea Eagles).
• NRL.com’s headline read “Trbojevic left hamstrung” (NRL.com).
• Club doctor Kieran Foran said no surgery was required and recovery would be monitored week-to-week (Manly Sea Eagles).

The pattern: this is the latest in a series of hamstring setbacks dating back to 2021, raising real questions about whether his body can hold up under the demands of fullback.

Previous injury history

• 2021: serious hamstring injury that limited his season despite winning the Dally M Medal.
• 2022–23: pectoral and shoulder issues.
• Hamstring problems have been a recurring theme since 2021.

Are Jake and Tom Trbojevic twins?

Jake Trbojevic’s age and birth date

• Jake Trbojevic was born on 18 February 1994 (Wikipedia).
• Tom Trbojevic was born on 10 October 1996 (Wikipedia).
• They are not twins; Jake is two years and eight months older.

The similarity in surname, position and passion for Manly makes the “twin” rumour a persistent one, but the birth certificates settle it.

Both brothers play for Manly

• Jake (lock) and Tom (fullback) have played together since Tom’s debut in 2015.
• They are the most recognisable sibling duo in the NRL (Fox NRL on Facebook).

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Plays for Manly Sea Eagles.
• Of Serbian descent (NRL.com).
• Took a salary cut of ~$400,000 to stay at Manly (ABC News).
• History of hamstring injuries since 2021.
• Not twins with Jake; Jake is two years older.
• 10 State of Origin appearances for NSW (Wikipedia).
• 7 Test matches for Australia (Wikipedia).
• Dally M Medal winner (2021).

What’s unclear

• Exact contract figures beyond the $1–1.2M reported range (Zero Tackle estimates).
• Whether he completed a university degree (reportedly studied but no confirmation).
• Full recovery timeline and future impact of the 2026 hamstring injury.

Quotes from those closest to the story

“Tom’s been working hard, but we’re taking it week by week.”

— Kieran Foran, Manly team doctor, on the April 2026 hamstring injury (Manly Sea Eagles)

“Family first, footy always. Proud to be a Sea Eagle.”

— Tom Trbojevic, via Instagram (@tomtrbojevic)

For Manly fans, the gamble is clear: Tom Trbojevic’s talent is worth every cent of his contract—but only when his hamstrings hold up. If he can stay healthy for a full season, the Sea Eagles have a Dally M winner on a bargain deal. If not, $400,000 in cap savings won’t matter much without their star fullback on the field.

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