Anthony Seibold and Craig Bellamy prepare for their first clash as coaches
WHEN Melbourne face South Sydney, it won’t just be top spot on the ladder on the line — good mates Anthony Seibold and Craig Bellamy will face off as coaches for the first time.
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IT was high and rare praise from one coach to a rival just four days from what shapes as rugby league’s game of the season.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy offered a glowing compliment to the man he will directly oppose this Friday night — South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold.
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This will be a 1st vs. 2nd blockbuster at ANZ Stadium. And front and centre will be Bellamy and Seibold, who learnt his trade at Melbourne Storm.
Seibold was a Melbourne under 20s coach and then development coach between 2013 and 2015.
With few opportunities available at Melbourne, Seibold shifted to Manly as an assistant coach before now confirming himself as an elite NRL coach at Redfern.
“He was always a very impressive coach, sometimes you just need that opportunity,” Bellamy told The Daily Telegraph.
“I’ve seen some really good coaches who never got that opportunity and I’ve seen some real good coaches get that opportunity — and they make the most of it. Certainly, ‘Seibs’ at the moment is doing that.
“As he is showing now, he is always very well prepared whatever the situation. He presented really well, he was a schoolteacher so a lot of those guys are pretty natural at that.
“He was very clear and precise with what he presented to the group. He never got too flustered if something happened unexpectedly, he seemed to be able to go with the flow.
“Add to that, like all coaches, he had a very good work ethic. He certainly had that as well. He did a really good job while he was here.”
Seibold watched, listened and learned under Bellamy while completing his coaching apprenticeship.
He now looks to be a career coach.
“He started here as our under 20s coach and then he went to become a development coach,” Bellamy said. “That was for the guys who were in our squad but didn’t play NRL, they played for our feeder teams. He looked after them.
“He also helped the first grade side out a bit. He was always a very good coach. He got an offer to be an assistant with Trent Barrett at Manly and he took that opportunity.”
Bellamy prefers not to accept that the two coaches go head-to-head in a match.
“I suppose it is a big game because we are both sitting on top of the ladder but, again, it’s just like any other game really,” Bellamy said.
“It’s worth two points.
“But I’ve never really looked at coaching against someone. At the end of the day, you’re coaching your team to play well.
“It’s not like who are actually out there battling away. It’s more how we prepare them during the week.”
Melbourne chief executive Dave Donaghy remembered Seibold’s contribution to the Storm.
“We tried really hard to keep him but he wanted to take a step up to become a senior assistant coach with an NRL team,” Donaghy said.
“At that point, we couldn’t offer it to him, which was really disappointing because we knew he had huge potential.
“He got the opportunity from Manly and took it. He was always going to be successful, it was just a matter of finding the right club and the right path.
“He got on well with everyone. Everyone loves ‘Seibs’. He is such a loveable, likeable guy who is honest as a day is long.
“When he is at work, he is the ultimate professional, very thorough, diligent and focused. When he’s not at work, he is really good company, he’s a good guy to spend time with. He is a good person to have around.”