NRL 2023: Tom Trbojevic breaks silence on Des Hasler sacking, Manly Sea Eagles future
Manly superstar has opened up on Des Hasler’s shock sacking, and addressed speculation he wanted out the Sea Eagles, after his manager claimed “the club was imploding”.
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Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic has broken his silence over Des Hasler’s shock sacking, admitting he was hurt by the club’s decision but never wanted to vent his frustration by quitting his childhood club.
In an exclusive one-on-one interview with The Daily Telegraph, Trbojevic paid tribute to Hasler before admitting he was now ready for a new era at Brookvale under incoming coach Anthony Seibold.
As the Hasler drama escalated in October, Trbojevic’s manager claimed the Manly fullback was “unhappy and concerned” and felt “the club was imploding.”
It led to speculation Trbojevic could stun Manly by seeking an early release. Trbojevic has now dismissed those concerns and reiterated a passionate desire to remain at Manly alongside brothers Jake and Ben.
“If Manly want me at the club, there is no way I am going to leave,” Trbojevic said. “I couldn’t say I was ever going to leave Manly. The reality is I have another four years left at the club.
“A lot was being said at that time in the media and it was quite hard. You can get attached to it (the situation) and get high on emotion.
“But once you sit back and have a think, and think about the reasons why you play footy, the big thing was that I love playing with my brothers.
“Once you think about that it makes things a lot easier. Manly is where I love playing. We love playing at Manly.
“When you pull yourself away from it and talk to all the right people at the club … I had a think about it. You probably change your views when things settle down and you sit back and think rationally.”
Hasler and Trbojevic share a special and firm bond.
While Trbojevic did not want to question Manly’s decision to axe Hasler, he did say: “Obviously it all happened pretty quickly. I loved working under Des and he’s done a lot for myself and my family.
“I’d got a lot to thank Des for in terms of what I know about the game. He has been really good for myself, Jake and Benny coming through. Des gave Ben the opportunity to play first grade, which I know Ben will be forever thankful for.
“He’s a great coach and a great person. He has done so much for us.
“But the club has gone in a different direction and I support the direction of the club and look forward to working under ‘Seibs’.”
Seibold and Trbojevic have spoken regularly on the phone over the past three weeks, the pair ready to combine successfully for 2023.
“I had ‘Seibs’ as an assistant back in 2016 (at Manly). He is a very smart coach who knew his stuff,” Trbojevic said.
“He did our defence work back then so that’s his main area. By the sounds of it that will be his main focus. ’Seibs’ was a very detailed type of guy back then.
“He only just got back from overseas so I haven’t done anything with him other than talk to him on the phone but I’m looking forward to working with him more closely in that head coaching role.”
Trbojevic won Manly’s trainer of the week in his second week of training this month.
DALEY BREAKS SILENCE ON MANLY COACHING BAN
The NRL stands accused of reaching a “conflicting and confusing” decision to ban NRL great Laurie Daley from a consultancy and coaching role at Manly.
NRL head of integrity Jason King informed Daley that he could not accept a position on the Sea Eagles football staff due to his association with TAB.
Daley is co-host of the Big Sports Breakfast, which airs daily on Sky Sports Radio, a company owned by the TAB.
The NRL denied Daley a move to Brookvale while “he engages in other employment with a wagering operator.”
Daley claimed to be “disappointed” at the NRL’s determination and felt he had “lot to offer” Manly.
“I’m not allowed to have association (with Manly) because of the links to TAB. Obviously I would like to think they would change their mind but I don’t think they will. I would have loved to have been part of it,” Daley said.
“I was informed of the decision by Jason King from the NRL integrity unit. We spoke about it and he told me the reasons why.
“They (NRL) have strict codes when it comes to players, coaches or officials being involved in the game, and being involved with betting agencies. I accepted (King’s) words – it’s one of those things. I think I would have had a lot to offer.
“But at the end of the day, the rules are that I can’t do it so I have to play by those rules and accept the decision.
“There was some coaching component to it (his role) but not a lot. It was some mentoring and coaching with the halves. It was working with individuals. But it was all pathways, list management and different aspects of the business.
“You think you’ve got something to offer and you can help some young footy players. It would have been lovely to work with the young Manly halves but, unfortunately, it’s not to be and I have to accept the umpire’s decision and move on.
“I would love to have got back involved and again get to know what a football club is like, the inner workings of it.”
So the NRL won’t let Laurie Daley work for @SeaEagles because he works for a radio station owned by the TAB.
— BUZZ ROTHFIELD (@BuzzRothfield) November 29, 2022
At the same time they allow Matt Tripp to be chairman of Melbourne Storm and be part owner of a corporate bookmaker firm.
Work that out.
Confusion reigned after The Daily Telegraph’s editor-at-large Phil Rothfield exposed a perceived inconsistency in the decision.
Rothfield tweeted: “So the NRL won’t let Laurie Daley work for the Sea Eagles because he works for a radio station owned by the TAB.
“At the same time, they allow Matt Tripp to be chairman of Melbourne Storm and be part owner of a corporate bookmaker firm. Work that out.”
Daley’s radio co-host, former Test cricketer captain Michael Clarke, was perplexed at the decision.
“That’s conflicting and confusing to me. How is it okay for some but not okay for all?” Clarke told The Sports Breakfast.
“I think it’s a loss for the game, it’s a loss for rugby league, when you’ve got legends of the game that actually do what to be part of it, and you find a way to keep them out, I think that’s the NRL loss – there’s no doubt about it.”
One NRL club CEO contacted The Daily Telegraph to say: “The decision is a complete outrage.”
In 2019, Daley was denied a coaching role at Wests Tigers due to his association with the TAB. He previously coached the Indigenous All Stars side – while working for the TAB – but that was deemed by the NRL to be a non-official match.
A Manly statement, posted on the club’s website, read: “The NRL has advised Laurie Daley that he cannot be permitted to accept a role as a club official with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while he engages in other employment with a wagering operator.
“The NRL Code of Conduct prohibits all players, club officials, match officials and administrators from being sponsored, employed, contracted, engaged or otherwise commercially involved in any way with a gambling operator.”
Daley is a former Canberra, NSW and Australian captain who also coached the Blues to a famous 2014 series win over a dominant Queensland. On Tuesday, Manly CEO Tony Mestrov spoke about the possibility of having Daley on staff.
“We are still working with the NRL,” Mestrov said. “Obviously there were some questions with Laurie working with TAB Corp so we are currently just working with the NRL.”
Asked if he was confident Daley would still be permitted to join Manly, Mestrov said: “I hope so. We’d love Laurie to be at Manly. There is no decision at this point.”
SEIBOLD REVEALS HIS PLAN TO REMAKE MANLY
—Dean Ritchie & Matt Encarnacion
On his first official day as Manly’s new head coach, Anthony Seibold has vowed to drag superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic back to his scintillating finest, declaring: “I know I can get the best out of him.”
Seibold, 48, flew in from England on Tuesday morning before heading directly to Brookvale Oval where he held a 15-minute press conference at 10.30am to outline his plans for the Sea Eagles heading into 2023.
“Let’s be honest, Anthony is here now, there’s a clean slate and we’re here to win football games,” said Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov.
In a wide-ranging interview, Seibold openly discussed Tom Trbojevic, the club’s pride jersey fiasco, his expectations and coaching methods, Eddie Jones, Josh Schuster and the two rising stars he claims can stun rugby league next season.
Seibold, appointed after long-serving coach Des Hasler was sacked in mid-October, returned to Sydney’s northern beaches from London where he was Eddie Jones’ assistant coach with the English rugby union side.
The former South Sydney and Brisbane coach was adamant he wouldn’t be “trying to prove people wrong” in his new role.
Manly now has all three of its senior coaches – Seibold along with assistants Shane Flanagan and Jim Dymock — at off-season training.
TERRIFIC TURBO
Tom and Jake Trbojevic were unsettled at Hasler’s sudden departure. Tom’s manager claimed his high-profile client was “losing patience” with the club, but Seibold had no doubt he would secure the best from Manly’s local hero brothers.
“They’re good men and I know I can get the best out of them. Tom is one of the very best players in our game, isn’t he? It’s about getting Tom into a position where he can play his best footy. That comes with training and what he does to look after himself away from training,” Seibold said.
“I’m really excited about working with him. I have worked with previously and we had a good relationship and I think I can continue to help him improve.
“Some of the Origin games that he’s played … the seasons he had put together at Manly have been outstanding at different times. He is obviously a key player in the group.
“It doesn’t surprise me there was commentary around that (Tom and Jake’s staunch defence of Hasler). That sums up the people they are. Tom and Jake are very loyal. You know them, they’re good men. I’ve had a number of discussions, particularly with Tom. Jake has been in Aussie camp.
“Tom’s (training) performances over the first two weeks – he was trainer of the week last week, week two, probably one the best players in the game, I reckon that says where he’s at and it says a lot about him.”
PRIDE PAIN
Manly never recovered – and some say the club still hasn’t fully – from last season’s pride jumper drama where seven players stood down from the club’s round 20 match in protest after the club failed to consult them over the stance.
The Sea Eagles lost all six subsequent games to bomb out of finals contention.
“One thing I do know about any situation that occurs, education and communication are key,” Seibold said, referring to Manly’s decision to wear the jumper without consulting the playing group.
“When the time is right, and if that needs to be addressed, then we will be like every family, get our challenges on the table. Not everything is perfect all the time.
“I want to get a good look at the group to start with and see what the togetherness is like but there has been a positive vibe to start the pre-season.
“It certainly hasn’t seemed to be a problem in the very short time you know communicating with the group.
“The end of the season was challenging, there’s no doubt about that but often in those really challenging times, that’s when the best learning occurs. Our understanding is that the NRL will be doing something in regards to a respect round in 2023.
Asked if he personally wanted players to wear a rainbow jersey next season, Seibold said: “That’s not for me to talk about at this point of time. That would create a headline, wouldn’t it? I think it’s a good thing that the NRL is taking the lead on whatever happens. I will leave it there.”
EDDIE’S INFLUENCE
Seibold spoke glowingly about Jones and how the former Wallaby hooker can quietly help Manly this season.
“Eddie is brilliant. He thinks a lot about coaching and how you can improve yourself as a coach,” Seibold said. “I’ve always been someone who has been into self-development and with Eddie, it was certainly taken to another level.
“He has given me a lot of lessons and I will continue to keep a relationship with him, we have a great relationship and he’s been a really good mentor to me and that won’t change.
“Certainly the last 16 months with England have been fantastic for my personal growth as a coach. Even getting out of our game and going to a different sport, and seeing what people do in another country, has been really good.
“It’s not just learnings from Eddie. I’ve been fortunate to work with Craig Bellamy, I’ve been head coach at a couple of different clubs. Things have gone good, things haven’t gone good. I have worked with Origin.
“All those different experiences, mate, you learn every single time.”
POINT TO PROVE
Despite the Broncos disaster, where he was sacked one-and-a-half years into a five-season contract, Seibold denies he has “a point to prove.”
“Not really,” he said. “I’ve left that behind. I’ve spoken about it a number of times now so I don’t have to feel as though every time I do an interview I have to talk about that particular point.
“This situation is very different to the Brisbane situation and that was really different to the South Sydney experience as well.
“The best thing about the opportunity here is not trying to prove people wrong. It’s about trying to prove people right. We’ve got a group that we feel can do something but there is a lot of work to do. That’s the picture I want to paint really clearly.
“We can be optimistic about what we want to do and we can talk about the potential in the group but that’s easy – they’re just words. The challenge is what we do on the park and that starts with what you do every day in pre-season.
“So that’s my focus – not Brisbane, not my learnings, I’ve been through all that, that’s in the rear vision mirror.”
CONFIDENT CAT
Seibold claimed to be fully confident he would land another head coaching role.
“Yeah I was, I was confident I’d get another opportunity to be a head coach but it was more ‘what opportunity did I want to take?’ he said.
“I didn’t know when it would be potentially but I knew I wanted to keep coaching and I’ve shown that over the two years since I left Brisbane.
“I was mentoring as a coach at Newcastle for a season and I’ve been with Eddie for the last 16 months as an assistant coach. Yeah, I have continued to coach.”
SCHUSTER SELECTION
Seibold all but guaranteed young star Josh Schuster first shot at the No. 6 jumper vacated by Kieran Foran.
“I’ve had a lot to do with Josh over the last couple of weeks,” Seibold said. “He’s started pre-season well, and he’s been consistent with his efforts over the first couple of weeks. But that’s the easy part of it.
“The challenge is for every player in the NRL to develop a love for that grind, particularly in pre-season because it’s 12 weeks of hard work.
“And one thing I do know about pre-seasons if you get it right, individually and collectively, then that does have a transfer to when you start playing good footy.
“We certainly look at Josh as a No. 6 option. Kieran Foran has now left the club. Josh is going to get an opportunity in that position, but there will be a couple of other guys as well who’ll get a chance to train in that position.
“But you would think that Josh has the opportunity to have first crack at that.”
THE EXPECTATIONS
A famous club with a winning DNA, Manly fell away late last season and missed the finals. The Sea Eagles are now under pressure to resurrect their status in rugby league.
“There is a lot of potential (at the club), there’s no doubt about that,” Seibold said. “We have some of the leading players in the game. You think about Tom Trbojevic. Tom didn’t play much football last season but the previous year he was Dally M player of the year.
“We’ve got some elite players – Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic were both with the Australian side which won the World Cup. Every single group has potential – it’s what you get out of it. There is good growth in the group and that’s what excited me about the opportunity.
“Honestly, it’s about preparing the guys the best we can. We want to be physically and mentally able to handle the rigours that come with the NRL.
“When I’ve been here (at Brookvale Oval) in the past, whether as an assistant or most recently working in the media, when the hill is rocking and they’re singing that song (Eagle Rock), the team is playing good footy.
“We also want to engage the community. Having lived in the community for a number of years now, I know how much the team means. We want them to be proud of their team.”
TIME TO CHANGE
Seibold arrives after being crowned Dally M coach-of-the-year with Souths in 2018 to being dumped by the Broncos. Some claim he can be too intense. Will he change?
“You always change, you always grow as a coach,” he said. “Every situation is different but I certainly feel well-prepared for the role.
“Without dwelling on the past, I’ve tried to take any learnings, good, bad or in-between, from every role I’ve had. I think I’m a much more rounded coach now. If I wasn’t getting better as a coach as I got older, that wouldn’t be great.
“To be honest, I just can’t wait to get out there on the (training) field. I’ve been constantly communicating with the coaches and the playing group but there’s nothing like being there. We’re into week three now and it’s good to be back and get started.”
ROOKIE EAGLES
Seibold nominated two rising stars ready to rip in this coming season.
“It’s often unfair to choose players’ names but Tolu Koula is an outstanding young player,” Seibold said. “He has so much potential.
“ (Haumole) Olakau’atu has only scratched the surface. I think he has a lot more growth in him as well. Everyone would have seen what those two guys did at different times last season. They have fantastic potential and it will be our job to get them to achieve that potential.
“There are some emerging guys here. Some of those younger players excite me. The challenge, or opportunity, that we have is in that potential – how far can we take that potential?”
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