Former Broncos coach Anthony Seibold brings chaos back to Brisbane with Manly

Anthony Seibold returns to Brisbane this week with Manly, under intense pressure from all fronts as turbulence strikes the Sea Eagles at an inopportune time.

Anthony Seibold.

Former Broncos coach Anthony Seibold returns to Brisbane this week under white hot pressure to stop his Manly club from self-destruction.

Seibold faces one of the biggest weeks of the year with pressure sweeping in on all fronts as he prepares to face the Broncos team he once coached in Magic Round on Friday night at Suncorp.

In one turbulent weekend the Sea Eagles were thumped 26-10 by the Titans, a story broke about five-eighth Josh Schuster having a fight at training and it was revealed that former Manly recruitment manager Scott Fulton was joining the Tigers.

If that wasn’t enough it was claimed that Bulldog Kyle Flanagan would sign with the Sea Eagles as their 30th player, a rumour denied by the Bulldogs, unconfirmed by the Sea Eagles, but still considered very much in play.

Mystery, confusion and conflict is in the air – as it was when Seibold left the Broncos three years ago.

Manly bounded out of the blocks this season but are one of the competition’s most volatile clubs despite their decorated history and the forces of that volatility have landed in the coach’s lap.

Anthony Seibold returns to Brisbane under the same circumstances he left. Picture: AAP/Darren England

There are fears Fulton could conduct a raid on the Sea Eagles roster which puts extra scrutiny on Seibold’s man management skills and ability to create a happy vibe around a club which was torn apart by the pride jersey player boycott.

Seibold left the Broncos by mutual agreement at a career low point late in their wooden spoon winning 2020 season after an horrendous winter so a win this week against the club who virtually showed him the door would be sweet.

Dramatic though his exit from the Broncos was, those who were there at the time have written it off as a union which simply didn’t work for a variety of reasons including the stresses of Covid and the incompatibility of that group to Seibold’s methods.

Broncos winger Jesse Arthars, who will play his 50th NRL match this week, said he felt indebted to Seibold.

“Obviously Seibs brought me to the club (from the Titans) which is something I am very grateful for,’’ Arthars said.

“It is good to see them going really well under him at Manly.’’

Like most players who were at the Broncos during the 2020 season from hell Arthars cannot sugar coat the bitter pills that were delivered by routine floggings on a weekly basis.

“It is not one I would want to reflect on. It was tough. It was a massive year for all the boys here … learning was the biggest one for all of us. We were very young and fresh in the game and feel as if we learnt our lessons.

“It feels really good to be a couple of years later and doing a lot better.’’

The Broncos have their own issues after being trounced by South Sydney with coach Kevin Walters calling for more discipline during the match debriefing.

SEIBOLD OPENS UP ON UGLY SPLIT

– Brent Read

Manly coach Anthony Seibold says he harbours no ill-will towards the Broncos and has spoken of his pride at seeing the continued development of Patrick Carrigan as he prepares to return to Brisbane for the first time since taking charge of the Sea Eagles.

Seibold spent two seasons at the Broncos, qualifying for the finals in year one before things unravelled in year two, prompting him to walk away from his dream job and take a break from rugby league.

He spent part of his sabbatical working with former England rugby coach Eddie Jones, including a Test at Suncorp Stadium, before returning to the NRL this season with Manly, having been appointed to the role after the Sea Eagles parted ways with Des Hasler.

Anthony Seibold at Sea Eagles training. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Seibold has hit the ground running on Sydney’s northern beaches, but he knows better than most the challenge that lies in wait at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

“Honestly, I don’t have any bitterness towards the Broncos as a club or the playing group,” Seibold said.

“I have great admiration for those young guys and I have followed their careers very closely. A number I have spoken to over the last couple of years.

“Ultimately they are top of the table, aren’t they? They have been very good at Suncorp Stadium. Our job is to go up there and try to disrupt what they are doing.

“There is no bitterness there at all. I feel like I am in the place where I am meant to be now as a coach and a person.”

Seibold chats to Pat Carrigan during a Broncos training session.

CARRIGAN THE LEADER

Seibold saw something in Pat Carrigan from the moment he set foot at the Broncos, handing him his debut as a teenager in just a tick over four years ago.

In Seibold’s second year at the club, he gave Carrigan the captaincy and he has watched his continued development from afar, marvelling at the way the Brisbane forward has become a leader for his club and state.

“He stood out as one of our leaders – the way he prepared, the way he trained, and the way he carried himself,” Seibold said.

“It was everything I thought a young professional NRL player should be about. I saw leadership in him from a young age.

“I have a lot of respect for a lot of those young boys. A lot of them have reached out over the last couple of years at different times.

“They were a good bunch of lads to coach, they worked hard.”

Seibold (left) says he was always confident Tom Dearden would succeed.

Tom Dearden was another who was handed his debut by the Broncos during the Seibold era, before becoming a State of Origin player at North Queensland.

“Tommy got a reward last year playing Origin,” Seibold said.

“He went up to the Cowboys and found a home there. I saw signs of what he was going to be as an 18-year-old.

“As soon as he turned 18 we gave him his debut – he only played five games but he was the halfback against Cooper Cronk at Suncorp when we beat them (the Sydney Roosters).

“I am just pleased for those young guys that they are doing well.”

Karl Morris and Darren Lockyer at Red Hill. Pic Annette Dew

KING KARL

Brisbane chair Karl Morris was at the heart of the decision to bring Seibold to the Broncos and he was a shoulder for Seibold to lean on when things got difficult.

Morris showed immense faith in Seibold during his time at the club and the pair remained in contact after they went their separate ways.

That relationship also played a part in Seibold’s ascent to the head coaching job at Manly. When the Sea Eagles were weighing up who to appoint as Hasler’s replacement, Manly owner Scott Penn reached out to Morris for a character reference for Seibold.

The fact he was appointed to the job suggests Morris had plenty of good things to say about the Broncos’ former coach.

“I am not sure who else Scott rung or (Manly chef executive) Tony Mestrov called,” Seibold said.

Seibold spent time working with English rugby.

“Of course they would have done their homework on me and I know they would have spoken to people not just at the Broncos, but at Souths – players and staff from the two different clubs.

“I know Karl has a longstanding relationship with Scott. As I said, I had a good working relationship with the chairman and the CEO.

“I didn’t know Karl prior to coaching the Broncos. I really respected what he was trying to do there.

“One of the things I am really proud is through all the challenges I had there, I still had a relationship with Karl and I have caught up with him a few times when he has come to Sydney.

“We have always stayed in touch.”

THE BRONCOS

Brisbane have been the benchmark this season and Manly haven’t been far behind, setting the scene for an explosive encounter between the sides on the opening night of Magic Round.

While there will be plenty of attention on Seibold as he prepares to return to Brisbane as an NRL coach, his only concern is continuing Manly’s strong start to the year against a Broncos side that has been the competition’s benchmark.

Seibold has been impressed by how his former club has started 2023.

Seibold has been as impressed as anyone by the Broncos performances under coach Kevin Walters, believing they are benefiting from a core group of young players breaching the 50-game barrier.

“One of the things they are doing really well is they have a really good forward pack, they have power and pace in the backline, and they score more tries on tackle four than any team in the competition,” Seibold said.

“They are doing a lot of really good things, but one of the things I do like about them as a team is that the bulk of the group have built cohesion and even through the tough times over the last four or five years, they are all between that 50 to 100 games.

“You talk to anyone in the game, whether it is a Tim Sheens or anyone who has been around the game, they tell you when you have been through 50 games, you have experienced being flogged, winning close games, everything.

“Fair play to them. We will go there as underdogs and get stuck in. Ultimately we are going up there to win.”

Originally published as Former Broncos coach Anthony Seibold brings chaos back to Brisbane with Manly