Anthony Seibold reveals final straw moment that pushed him to walk away from Broncos
Anthony Seibold says the pressures of coaching the NRL’s flagship club had taken a toll on him and his family as well as slanderous rumour mongering as he opened up on his Brisbane exit.
Anthony Seibold will front the media after his Broncos exit. Picture: Getty Images
Anthony Seibold looked like a man who had finally found peace.
He was calm and composed, freshly shaven, silver hair gelled and debuting a navy blue suede jacket to formalise his exit as head coach of the Brisbane Broncos.
Seibold's turbulent 20-month tenure came to an end on Wednesday after he agreed to a seven-figure severance package to depart with three years remaining on a five-year contract.
His unsuccessful stint as the fourth coach of the Brisbane Broncos - which yielded only 14 wins from 40 games (37 per cent winning record) - had it all.
But it was the personal toll and relentless scrutiny of coaching the Broncos which finally broke Seibold and prompted him to sever ties with the club.
"What was the final straw for you to go to the board?" asked a reporter after the Broncos announced it was Seibold's decision to leave.
That's when the usually cold Seibold cracked.
“The final straw was hopping back on a plane from Sydney when I wanted to be with my daughter," was all Seibold could manage before his voice broke and tears welled in his eyes.
Seibold, 45, finished a 14-day home quarantine in Brisbane on Monday after attending to a family matter in Sydney following the Broncos' loss to South Sydney on August 7.
Anthony Seibold has opened up on his exit from the Broncos. Picture: AAP Images
He never rejoined the Broncos' COVID bubble after negotiating a payout to quit the club and move on with his life, beginning with a farm stint in central Queensland.
After leaving South Sydney in controversial circumstances, Seibold spent the first year of his tenure at the Broncos living in Brisbane alone after his wife and three daughters opted to remain in Sydney.
The family relocated to Brisbane this year, with Seibold's oldest daughter remaining in Sydney to study.
The situation was manageable until the stress of Brisbane's disastrous season was compounded by travel and border restrictions in recent months.
When asked why he returned to Brisbane if he didn't want to, Seibold said: “I had my wife and two other kids up here.
“I knew I’d have to get into a 14-day home isolation.
“At any other time I would have been able to get on a plane, miss one session, come back into work, and no one even knows about it.
“With the COVID stuff and border restrictions I didn’t want to get on a plane because I was leaving someone really close to me."
Seibold has also had to endure relentless slandering and rumour mongering on social media.
He has referred the matter to police and promised to prosecute those responsible for the campaign.
Anthony Seibold at Broncos HQ. Picture: Annette Dew
In December, 2018, Seibold became the fourth coach in the 32-year history of the Broncos when Wayne Bennett was sacked to make way for his arrival.
On Wednesday he joined Bennett, Ivan Henjak and Anthony Griffin as the fourth Broncos coach to be sacked before the end of their tenure.
Bennett, the architect of Brisbane's six premierships, is the only coach to have absorbed the pressure of coaching the Broncos.
Seibold admitted the scrutiny had been a challenge.
“There’s no doubt that’s a challenge being a one-team town," he said.
“You guys in the media drive the commentary and narrative. I don’t control that.
“If we’re winning on the field there’s not as many stories in the paper about the Broncos.
“It’s been a hell of an experience. It’s been a wonderful experience. I’ll reflect fondly on my time here. I’ll take away some really key learnings.
“It was ultimately my decision. I’ve made the decision in the best interests of the footy club.
“You guys have seen the narrative and social media the last couple of weeks. It’s not fair to put my family and myself through that."
Seibold will take the rest of the year off before targeting his next role.
He is determined to coach again and believes he will be better for his time at the Broncos.
“I haven’t lost the passion for coaching," he said.“I love helping people. I think I’ve helped a lot of the young players here become better players.
“I’ve given it my best shot. I’m proud of that fact."
Updates
Signing off ...
Kyle Pollard
That's it for now from me, but let's address the elephant in the room…….
We never said WHICH club he'd win the premiership at…..
Ultimately, that little cut out on the front page of the paper was a LITTLE off the mark, but it speaks to the positivity that was swirling around Seibold when he joined Red Hill – a Dally M Coach of the Year at the Rabbitohs the year before and a fresh face at a club many thought was becoming stale.
Today, Seibold leaves after just 38 games and 14 wins.
It's a tough old game, being an NRL coach, and an even tougher game being a Broncos coach.
Thanks for joining us, stay safe, stay healthy and stay tuned for more Seibold coverage throughout the day.
One on ones
Kyle Pollard
Anthony Seibold will now sit down with the journos individually to talk about his time at the Broncos, his exit, and what's next for the former Dally M Coach of the Year.
Travis Meyn and Robert Craddock on board for The Courier-Mail. Stay tuned for their words in what has been an insane day – week, year, season – for the Broncos.
Summary
Kyle Pollard
IN SUMMARY:
*Seibold WILL be taking a list of people apparently behind the disgusting social media attacks against him to the police
*Hopping on the plane to Brisbane from Sydney, leaving his daughter behind, was the catalyst for his decision
*Seibold says you don't connect with some players the way you do with others, alluding to a bit of a relationship breakdown somewhere in the changerooms
*Paul White says he and the club will be accountable for what's gone wrong … whatever that means
*Seibold cried in front of the players this morning saying goodbye, but he's proud of the young players he's blooded
*White backs the decision to go with Seibold over Bennett for long-term purposes
*"It's not about the money". Seibold says he wouldn't be sitting there if it was
*Both White and Seibold talk about how things went wrong after the lockdown
White backs picking Seibold over Bennett
Kyle Pollard
Says it was about the long-term plan and who could argue at the time?
Also says Anthony is at peace with his decision.
Media man has now called the presser to a close.
Stunning demise
Kyle Pollard
Paul White talks about how quickly the club has dropped since before lockdown.
Since then 2 wins, 11 losses, including three by more than 30 points.
"Going to the police"
Kyle Pollard
Seibold reveals he WILL be taking the list of names apparently behind the disgusting social media campaign against him to the police.
That story is only just beginning…
"The club has written to Phil"
Kyle Pollard
Paul White says the club is addressing Phil Murphy's shocking "cancer" comments.
"Did you go too young?"
Kyle Pollard
Crash Craddock asks whether Seibold went too hard too fast bringing in youth.
Seibold backs the plan and is proud of the players he's blooded at the top level.
Paul White says the club is accountable for the decision to put Seibold on a long-term deal. Now talking about the thorough process the club went through to sign a coach who was the Dally M coach of the year.
"It's not about the money"
Kyle Pollard
Seibold says if it was about the money, he wouldn't be sitting here today. It's the best thing for the club.
Says for whatever reason things went bad after COVID.
Also says it was his decision to stand down. Says the narrative of the story isn't fair to put on his family.
