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Tom Trbojevic was juggling training and playing with Manly during his year 12 HSC exams and immediately appreciated the need to be organised and use limited time wisely.
Trbojevic was never a morning person and always found it easier hitting the books late at night, even if he had just trained or played a game with the Sea Eagles.
Now regarded as one of the NRL’s best players to watch, Trbojevic graduated in 2014 from Pittwater High with an ATAR of 94.3. The 2021 Dally M medallist completed his applied finance and commerce degrees at Macquarie University in 2022.
“I was very good at maths. I did three units of maths – I was a bit of a nerd for it,” Trbojevic said.
“That was easily my best subject. English was tough and I always considered myself more of a numbers person.
“When I left school, I always wanted to do a double degree in economics and finance.
“Because I was playing under-20s at the time, which was a big competition at the time, it took up a lot of my time, so I had to be organised and manage my time well with school.
“Even if I was stuck at training late, I’d come home and know what work I needed to get through.
“It was all about preparation. I still appreciate the importance of preparing every week in rugby league. If you prepare well, you will do well at your exams, and do well in life.”
Trbojevic said he was lucky that rugby league was a physical and mental outlet when study became repetitive or he simply needed a time-out.
He said he wanted the class of 2026 to enjoy their final year at school, enjoy each other’s company and relax when exam day arrived.
Trbojevic is hopeful of a round 23 comeback against Melbourne after another hamstring strain in the game against the Gold Coast on July 19. He was sidelined for two months with a hamstring tear in his left leg this year – his ninth recorded hamstring injury since 2018 (four to his left leg, five to his right).
Manly coach Kieran Foran has praised Trbojevic and his leadership abilities.
“It’s very hard to replace a guy like Tom. He’s one of the elite players of our game, he’s an elite leader of our game and he brings so much to our group.”
The Sydney Morning Herald’s HSC Study Guide for 2026 will be published online and in the newspaper on Monday, July 27. The guide has all the information and tools to motivate and inspire the 80,000 students sitting the exam this year.
Read the full article here
