Sea Eagles hand Bulldogs reality check after silencing huge crowd ...

It was supposed to be a celebration of Tom Trbojevic’s long journey to 150 games, but instead the night finished with the Sea Eagles superstar walking up the tunnel covered in blood and with his right arm pinned to his body after he suffered a potentially serious injury on the eve of the finals.

Trbojevic had been terrific again as the Sea Eagles stunned the Bulldogs with a 34-22 win at Accor Stadium, but the only thing that Manly fans care about is his health after he left the field with 16 minutes to go and looking distraught.

MATCH CENTRE: Bulldogs v Sea Eagles, teams, stats, video

The luckless fullback was trying to tackle Jacob Preston when his right arm got stretched awkwardly and then pinned to the ground as teammate Luke Brooks landed on it.

While hamstring injuries have plagued him throughout his career, Trbojevic has also had season-ending shoulder and pec injuries in the past, with scans on Saturday to determine if he’s any chance of returning for the finals.

There could be more concerns given Trbojevic had been limping in the second half after Viliame Kikau cannoned into his knees while scoring a try that was ruled out for obstruction.

Lehi Hopoate would be the logical option to replace him at fullback, but he could be forced to stay on a wing after speedster Jason Saab came off with a high-ankle sprain which is set to sideline him for 2-4 weeks.

Here are the biggest talking points out of the match.

TURBO ON ICE

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold says superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic will miss next week’s game against the Sharks with an AC joint injury but should be fine to play in the first week of the finals in a huge boost for the club.

“It’s an AC joint so he’ll definitely miss next week from what I understand,” Seibold said, with Trbojevic leaving the ground with stitches above his eye, strapping on his leg and with his arm tucked by his side.

“He’ll get an x-ray or a scan, but he’ll be all right for week one of the finals because it’s something you can take the pain away (with a needle).

“We’ll make sure we look after him.

“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 weeks. But he will be right to go for week one.”

Trbojevic had been limping in the second half after Viliame Kikau cannoned into his knees while scoring a try that was ruled out for obstruction, but Seibold brushed that off as a corked shin.

Lehi Hopoate would be the logical option to replace him at fullback, but he could be forced to stay on a wing after speedster Jason Saab came off with a high-ankle sprain which is set to sideline him for 2-4 weeks.

“Those can be quite nasty so I’m not as confident on Saaby,” Seibold said, with the winger leaving the ground on crutches and in a moon boot.

“It was a hip-drop tackle that hurt him so it’s an awkward one. He’s not comfortable in there.”

SEA EAGLES SOAR

The Friday 6pm timeslot was supposed to be the graveyard game for rugby league, but it has roared back to life and so have the Sea Eagles after they silenced a raucous 35,502 crowd to keep their hopes alive of hosting a final in week one.

Olympic Park was a sea of blue and white two hours before kick-off with packed trains arriving every few minutes while it was easier to find parking in the city on New Year’s Eve than it was trying to get a spot near the stadium.

It was supposed to be the night the Bulldogs kept their top-four hopes alive against a team that lost to the Tigers a week ago, but it was one-way traffic on the field and with Bulldogs fans trying to leave the ground early as Manly pulled off a stunning ambush.

The Sea Eagles are now just one point behind the Bulldogs and Cowboys after they bullied the hosts through the middle, while halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brooks fed their outside backs who iced their chances.

Brooks threw a peach of a pass to set up Karl Lawton in the first half, but he could be in trouble after he was placed on report for a lifting tackle as he eyes off his first finals game in the NRL.

BULLDOGS LOSE THEIR BITE

The Bulldogs had a chance to put pressure on the top four if they could have extended their 10-0 home record, but there’s every chance they could slide down to seventh spot next week if they lose to the Cowboys and Manly beat the Sharks.

The night couldn’t have started any better when Reed Mahoney scored before the visitors had even touched the ball.

But it went downhill pretty quickly from there as their league-best defence crumbled to concede a season-high 34 points.

And things could get worse after Matt Burton failed an HIA while Bronson Xerri was placed on report for a hip-drop tackle on Saab.

“He’s actually OK, he’s really good,” Cameron Ciraldo said of his five-eighth.

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