New South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold defends giant Rabbitohs twins George and Tom Burgess
NEW Souths coach Anthony Seibold has passionately defended giant twins George and Tom Burgess, reveals Greg Inglis’s injury latest and hints at the Matty Johns Effect on Adam Reynolds.
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NEW South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold has passionately defended giant twins George and Tom Burgess, declaring it’s time to stop judging them as one.
Ahead of his first game in charge when the Rabbitohs take on Wigan next Saturday, Seibold told The Saturday Telegraph: “It does s... me when they get criticised collectively”.
Seibold also opened up about his plans to reinvent the 2014 NRL premiers by tearing off the shackles in 2018.
Seibold said the aim was to focus less on structure and more on giving players freedom to play to individual strengths.
Matty Johns has spent the summer working with halves Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker and fans should anticipate a significant change in the way Souths attack.
Seibold also revealed why Greg Inglis would start his comeback playing left centre and not fullback, while Damian Cook and Robbie Farah are locked in “a genuine shootout for the No 9 in these trials”.
Twin punching bags
At the start of last season Peter Sterling spoke for many fans when he labelled the two-year slump of the Burgess twins one of the NRL’s “real mysteries”.
A year on and the club has extended their deals but many still think George and Tom chew up too much salary cap space, and it’s time for them to stand up and put some intimidation back in the Souths pack.
One of the things Seibold has done since taking charge is individualise training programs, and the focus for the 121kg twins hasn’t been on losing weight as much as working on mobility and skills.
Seibold is predicting big seasons from both.
“George has just got better and better as the pre-season progressed,” Seibold said.
“Actions speak louder than words and we will see how they go.
“But they are heading in the right direction.
“I think a lot of the criticism comes because people see them outside the group as the one person and it probably s.... me a little bit.
“I think last year it was quite unfair.
“If one of those guys did make an error it was sort of always collective rather than the individual.
“Look at the way Tom played for England in the World Cup.
“I know everyone will probably say he made a couple of errors (in the final against Australia). But I thought Tom was just about the pick of England’s forwards if you look at their six games.
“And George has something to prove because he didn’t make the England squad.
“They have copped a lot of criticism but it does s... me when they get criticised collectively.
“Because of their profile and because they are such big guys they are easy to point the finger at.
“I love coaching them.
“I know that they are passionate about the club and we value them as individuals.”
Centre of attention
If Souths are going to make the finals this year they need Inglis back to his terrorising best.
But when will he be back, and what position will he be playing?
“To be fair, coming back from injury, he is probably better served playing left centre initially,” Seibold said, explaining the extra workload required at fullback.
Alex Johnston will start the season at No.1 but having Inglis and Dane Gagai in the centres offers plenty of strikepower.
“(Inglis) is in the top couple of players in the competition when he is fit and healthy,” Seibold said.
“We have been really patient and he has been patient.
“The last thing we want to do is rush it now.
“We will get through the next two weeks and have a better idea.
“Whether it is round two or three or four, we will just take a commonsense approach.
“Greg will give us the thumbs up when he is ready to go and so will the medical staff.
“But he is physically in good nick and he is excited.”
Matty Johns’ influence
Seibold didn’t want to go into detail about exactly what Johns has been working on with the halves.
“I would prefer not to talk about it because Matty doesn’t want any publicity … but Reyno has got a lot out of it,” Seibold said.
But it’s no secret Johns has worked with some of the game’s best playmakers over the years with outstanding success.
Seibold said what you can expect to see this year was Souths forwards attacking with more freedom, and the halves playing to their strengths, not always structure.
“Cody Walker is a running five-eighth. We want to see him in some space,” Seibold said.
“What are Reyno’s strengths?
“He has probably been stuck in structure for a little while so we are just trying to unload him a little bit.
“We have tried to strip it right back.
“Simplify it from an attacking point of view.
“If he is our key decision-maker, what works for him?
“How does he connect better with his other half?
“I do like to play our halves and our fullback together.
“But I am also a realist.
“The proof will be in the pudding when we get on the park.”
The race for No.9
Talk towards the back end of last season was that the Rabbitohs wanted to move Farah on.
But the word is he has returned from playing for Lebanon at the World Cup with a great attitude, and Seibold said because of that he’d put himself right in the frame.
Seibold confirmed Cook would start against Wigan at hooker with Farah playing in the halves in the absence of Reynolds and Walker.
But he said the trials would still be “a genuine shootout for the No.9”.