Darren Lockyer: Anthony Seibold handled himself so well on day of Broncos departure under tough circumstances

Broncos director and club legend Darren Lockyer opens up on the departure of Anthony Seibold and what it will take to get the club out of the cellar and back to the top of the NRL premiership.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 27: Coach Anthony Seibold gives directions to his players during a Brisbane Broncos NRL training session at Red Hill on February 27, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

As I watched Anthony Seibold discussing his departure as Broncos coach on Wednesday after two turbulent seasons, I looked on with a heavy heart.

I was thinking what part have I played in letting him down and the entire Broncos club?

Coaching in the NRL is cut-throat and filled with pressure, so no-one likes seeing the downfall of any individual.

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Darren Lockyer is confident Anthony Seibold is far from finished as a coach.

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‘Seibs’ handled the day of his departure really well. He spoke of the toll it has taken on him personally and his family. Given the results on the field, he felt it was best for everyone at the club for him to walk away.

I hope Anthony coaches again. He has shown a lot of resilience over the last two years and even after some heavy losses, he always bounced back and come to work energised.

Anthony will go away and reflect on his Broncos tenure and get some perspective. I have no doubt he will bounce back in the coaching game, but right now I hope he enjoys some peace with his family.

To see the Broncos in 15th place, it’s not where we want to be as a club. It’s simply not the Broncos. The next four weeks is about the playing group trying to build some trust in each other with a view to going into the off-season with some optimism that they are coming together as a group.

If you look at things technically, we need to be a much better defensive team. Defence is a reflection of attitude and trust, and you need the former to achieve the latter.

The Broncos’ front office is about to undergo change. Paul White will depart in October as chief executive after 10 years of service, which included grand-final appearance in 2015.

Broncos chairman Karl Morris and Darren Lockyer on a day of reckoning for the club.

White has copped some criticism but he has done an extremely good job in growing the Broncos into the $52 million business that it is today. The Broncos are the richest club in the game. The final piece of the puzzle, however, is the on-field performance.

The board and CEO have some influence in that area, but it ultimately comes down to the coach and the coaching staff to drive that on-field performance.

Right now, the mentality of the individual Broncos players should not be, ‘I’m playing for another contract’. If their primary focus is playing for their teammate and not letting their colleagues down, their own form will fall into place after that.

Seibold’s legacy will be the 12 players that received debuts on his watch, and many of those rookies, such as Pat Carrigan, Tom Flegler and Cory Paix, will develop into fine leaders for the club.

But, with 300-game legend Darius Boyd retiring at season’s end, Brisbane’s senior leadership void will be further eroded, so it’s important the likes of Matt Lodge, Anthony Milford and Alex Glenn step up.

Lodge will be physically fit again after a frustrating season with two knee injuries, while Milford, at age 26, is entering his prime maturing years as an NRL player.

Lockyer is confident Anthony Milford can help lead the Broncos to the promised land.

The board has copped its share of criticism, particularly over Seibold’s five-year contract, but I’m still committed to the cause. I want to get the Broncos to a point where I’m seeing the club back to where it needs to be.

I’m not a quitter. I feel we are in a bit of a hole and I don’t want to see the club where it is now.

I want to draw on my playing experiences for the Broncos to assist in making some good decisions so we can get this great club back to its glory days.

Originally published as Darren Lockyer: Anthony Seibold handled himself so well on day of Broncos departure under tough circumstances