Anthony Seibold won’t quit Brisbane Broncos, assistant coach Peter Gentle says
Speculation is rife Anthony Seibold is set to quit the Broncos following a horror season which has culminated in a police probe. Assistant coach and current caretaker Peter Gentle weighs in on Seibold’s future.
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Broncos caretaker Peter Gentle insists Anthony Seibold will not walk out on the club as the besieged mentor turns armchair coach for Saturday night’s clash against the Raiders.
Speculation is rife Seibold could negotiate a severance package with Broncos hierarchy in coming weeks following a horror season which has culminated in a police probe into slanderous rumours about the Brisbane coach.
Seibold has been forced into 14 days of COVID self-isolation after attending to a personal matter in Sydney last Friday, ruling him out of Brisbane‘s next two games against Canberra and the Dragons.
There is a fear the emotional toll could convince Seibold to walk away from the Broncos but his assistant, Gentle, is adamant his under fire head coach will not tender his resignation.
Asked if Seibold is committed to honouring his five-year contract with the club, Gentle said: “One hundred per cent.
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“I haven’t heard anything different. I haven’t seen him waver from that for one moment.
“This is just a little personal issue he has got at the moment but he is back in a fortnight and we are good to go.”
Seibold returned to Brisbane on Tuesday and has missed the club’s past three training sessions due to his COVID Hold.
But the Broncos coach remains as committed as ever, issuing instructions to Gentle and formulating game plans for the Canberra clash from his lounge room via zoom meetings.
“I don‘t think many coaches have been through this, but at the end of the day I am only filling in for ‘Seibs’,” Gentle said.
“He is back in two weeks, he is still calling all the shots.
“We had him propped up on a chair in a meeting this morning on a zoom call. I am only filling in, it‘s not as if Seibs is gone totally.
“It (coaching from home) is a welcome distraction for him.
“I talk to him many times a day, the staff get together each afternoon and we catch up on zoom.
“He is getting all the training footage so he is able to cut it up and plan the sessions.
“He is coaching from afar, I am there just carrying out his wishes, which is what we do anyway.
“It‘s been pretty seamless at the moment with Seibs working at arm’s length, a few of the older players have stepped up and helped during the week.”
Broncos board member Darren Lockyer has labelled the club’s season a “train wreck” but Gentle is determined to deliver Brisbane’s fourth win and his first as an NRL caretaker coach.
“It is not for me to agree with that,” he said. ”All I want to do on Saturday night is get a win for Seibs and our fans. A lot of things have happened this year. What else can I say?”
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