Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold a dead man walking after Warriors defeat
The Broncos are publicly sticking by coach Anthony Seibold but his days are numbered after the club’s latest debacle against a team that doesn’t even have a full-time coach — and only one thing can save him.
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Anthony Seibold could face the axe as Broncos coach this month unless he can conjure a winning formula from his down and desperate troops.
Broncos chief executive Paul White spoke out in support of Seibold and the club’s distressed players after their sixth loss in a row but, significantly, put no time span on the club’s loyalty to their coach.
Sunday’s vote of support could evaporate if the Broncos lose their next two games against the Bulldogs and Wests Tigers.
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If the Broncos lose eight games in a row, effectively making the season a write-off at its halfway point, there is tipped to be a fresh push for Seibold to face the axe despite having three-and-a-half years left on his five-year deal.
Never one to hold back, Broncos legend Gordon Tallis has called on those at the helm to walk away as the club tries to negotiate one of its darkest periods.
“If I was at the club and I couldn’t do my job, I would walk away,” Tallis said on Triple M.
“If I was Darren Lockyer and I got the club into this position. If I was Paul White and I got the club into this position. If I was Anthony Seibold and I got the club into this position, I would walk away.”
Though the Broncos board have repeatedly aired their support for Seibold it is traditional for sporting boards to back coaches until they sack them rather than delve into the murky area of putting a time frame on what the coaches need to do to stay afloat.
Two years ago the Broncos repeatedly assured fans Wayne Bennett would coach the club in 2019 before they sacked him a week after their final pledge of support.
“I want to reinforce our support for the coach, the coaching staff and the playing group,’’ White said.
“We made a long-term commitment to Anthony … we had a great pre-season then under circumstances beyond our control, the season was halted.
“We haven’t handled that period well and after our sixth straight loss, we’re facing a critical juncture in our season. Now is not the time to be making decisions around our coach. I won’t be doing that.
“We’ve sustained periods where we’ve lost eight in a row and the club has stayed the course and we’ve been rewarded the other side of it. That is what we intend to do now.’’
It is the manner in which the Broncos are playing – as much as the losses themselves – which is putting searing pressure on the coaching staff.
Since the resumption of the competition after the COVID shutdown the Broncos have averaged just nine points a game while conceding 33 and have eased to $7.50 chances of making the finals.
Saturday night’s loss to a depleted Warriors was one of the club’s worst, especially after weeks of soul-searching which was tipped to spark a bounce-back performance of pure, sustained effort.
Former Bronco and Fox League analyst Michael Ennis was alarmed by the sight of several Broncos including skipper Alex Glenn in tears after the loss and said signing Seibold to a five year deal was “crazy.’’
“They are not coping they are struggling for leadership the young guys – they have no one to lean on,’’ Ennis said.
“The senior players are struggling to get their own games right. There is a real disconnect. There are so many fractures in the Broncos at the moment.’’
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNT …
1. TIME’S UP FOR SEIBS
Broncos coach Anthony Seibold should resign. Seibold said he would know if he’s not the right man to lead the Broncos and six straight defeats is evidence he can’t stop the rot. To lose to the depleted Warriors, who are stranded in Australia, after leading 10-0 is the final nail in the coffin. If Seibold won’t walk, the Broncos board should have the courage to fire him.
2. CROFT CRUMBLES
Brisbane halfback Brodie Croft cried at full-time and it should herald his axing from the No. 7 jumper. The Warriors lost Kodi Nikorima in the opening five minutes yet Croft and Anthony Milford still couldn’t get the job done. Warriors half Blake Green toyed with both of them, with his 40-20 kick in the 60th minute inspiring the Warriors fightback. Croft gives Brisbane no direction.
3. TOUGH LESSON
The Broncos have to learn how to handle momentum shifts. Brisbane dominated the opening 30 minutes but lost their way before and after halftime as the Warriors posted two tries in eight minutes. The Broncos must be able to absorb pressure when the flow of the game is against them.
4. NO DISCIPLINE
Brisbane’s tryline defence and general discipline is woeful. They again lost the penalty count, this time it was 6-1, and they conceded three soft tries from close range when Ignatius Paasi and Wayde Egan crashed over in the second half. Then Isaiah Papali’i brushed through some feeble defence 90 seconds from full-time to bury the Broncos.
5. COATES SHINES
Wing monster Xavier Coates was one bright spot for the Broncos. The 19-year-old evokes images of Greg Inglis with his pace and loping strides and he produced a 90-metre intercept for the second time in three weeks. He finished with 238 metres and four tackle busts and it is only a matter of time before he is a Queensland Origin player.
Originally published as Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold a dead man walking after Warriors defeat