Manly Sea Eagles’ woes unlikely to be fixed by return of Tom Trbojevic, but it won’t hurt having him back

Should the alarm bells be ringing at Brookvale?

Or was Penrith’s exploitation of Manly’s frailties assisted by a lengthy injury list, including to star player Tom Trbojevic?

The answer to both these questions is probably yes.

Another defeat, this one a record capitulation at Brookvale, albeit against a devastating Penrith team, should be taken as a stark warning that this season could be a long and disappointing one for Sea Eagles fans.

As important as it is not to panic about the state of a team so early into a new season, supporters on the northern beaches will be exchanging nervous glances at each other at the Sea Eagles’ current form.

Defensively, the Sea Eagles were a shambles, particularly so on their right side.

“There was a bit of…