Seibold predicts Schuster’s best is yet to come, Sea Eagles play it safe with back-rower’s calf injury

Anthony Seibold will stop putting time frames on Josh Schuster’s potential return date from a calf injury declaring the enigmatic Manly back-rower’s best footy is still in front of him and that questions about his work ethic at training simply aren’t true.

Schuster was ruled out of Manly’s pre-season challenge match against the Roosters last week and was meant to be “saved” for Saturday’s clash with Brisbane before flying out on Sunday to meet his teammates in Las Vegas.

But that won’t happen with Brad Parker and the suspended Toff Sipley the only two players from Saturday’s upcoming trial set to fly to the States to join the rest of the squad who left on Wednesday via a stopover in Fiji.

It’s another frustrating setback for Schuster who battled chickenpox and a fractured finger before he injured his calf in early January.

“He was pretty close,” Manly coach Seibold replied when asked whether the 22-year-old was in the mix for Vegas.

“We had anticipated that he would play the trial against the Broncos, but the medical staff – the head of physio Chris Bailey – spoke to me on Monday morning and said that he was worried about the tightness (of the calf).

“The last two runs for Josh, he got through training fine but he had some tightness.

“(Chris) said that they were warning signs or red flags, and he thought that conservative approach of not taking him to Vegas and taking him out of the trial game to give him a couple of weeks of reconditioning with the staff that have been left behind would give him the best opportunity to play.

“I’ve probably put time frames on it the past two weeks, but I don’t want to do that anymore because it puts ‘Schuey’ under pressure and it puts our medical staff under pressure as well.

“There are 24 games and this is just one game, but it’s been built up like a grand final or an Origin. We’ve got to understand that there’s a bigger race at play for the season proper.”

Schuster has attracted criticism in the past over his fitness which has seen him play just 28 games in two years and now moved from five-eighth to the back row.

“It’s a really challenging one because he’s a fantastic young kid,” his coach said.

“I know the noise from outside the club is that he’s not a hard trainer, but he is a really hard trainer.

“He’s got some baggage because he’s been inconsistent in the past, but I don’t think we’ll see the best of Josh Schuster for another 12-24 months.

“I think he’s got so much more in him. I’ve backed him and the club has backed him. He’s been with the club since he was 14 when the great Bob Fulton spotted him. Everyone would agree that Bob Fulton didn’t get too many things wrong when it came to footy.

“He’s 22 and it’ll take time for him to mature and understand himself, but he’s got x-factor. When he’s in our side, we’re a better team.”

With Schuster unavailable for at least the opening round, Ben Trbojevic gets the chance to start on the left having scored three first-half tries against Souths in an unofficial trial two weeks ago when they rested all of their stars.

It means there will be three Trbojevic brothers in the starting side against the Rabbitohs next week.

“I’m so pleased for him because he’s had a fantastic pre-season,” Seibold said.

“He’s made some physical gains and some gains in the gym strength-wise.

“He’s really nailed that left-edge spot and he’ll start there which is fantastic.

“I’m really pleased for Ben because he’s signed long-term with our club for the next three years. It’s so pleasing to see a great young man develop on and off the field. He’s earned his spot and I can’t wait to see him play.”