NRL 2023: Time not on Anthony Seibold’s side, how to fix the transfer system mess

Anthony Seibold’s coaching career progression has been a rocky one, but it has also prepared him to hit the ground running at a club built for success right now.

The making of Anthony Seibold.

All eyes will be on Tom Trbojevic at 4 Pines Park on Saturday afternoon but the real story will be high in the stands, where two men will nervously take their seats in rival coaching boxes and begin their latest sojourns in rugby league’s coaching ranks.

One is intent on rebuilding his coaching reputation, the other will be trying to live up to his. Anthony Seibold has had Manly firing in the pre-season.

They look happy and united, a far cry from the sick and sorry outfit that bumbled its way through the closing two months of last season leading to the eventual axing of Des Hasler.

Of all the sides who finished last year outside the top eight, Manly are among the most popular pick to force their way in given their pre-season form.

From the Broncos, to South Sydney and now Manly, Anthony Seibold has done some hard yards as a coach.

Seibold knows that means nothing now that the real stuff has arrived. Being Kings of the pre-season means precious little come October.

It’s been a bumpy ride for Seibold. One minute the Dally M coach of the year, the next forced to bide his time at the right hand of Eddie Jones while he waited for a another chance.

When he started at South Sydney, Seibold was a breath of fresh air. An interview with him was as educational as it was enlightening. He took Souths to a preliminary final, won the Dally M gong and then promptly departed for his dream job at the Brisbane Broncos.

Truth be told, he began to fray at the edges towards the end of his time at the Rabbitohs as his relationships with some members of the media strained. Seibold was learning on the run and when he lobbed in Brisbane, he was given no room to breathe.

The wolves were at the door from day one. If it wasn’t the old boys, it was social media trolls needling away in the background. It took a toll as Seibold became the star of his own version of the Truman Show.

Everything unravelled for Anthony Seibold at the Broncos. Picture: Getty Images

So Seibold eventually walked away and looked left field in his bid to rebuild. He picked up the pieces under Jones, but never lost the desire to be a head coach again.

This columnist bumped into Seibold before a Manly game last when he was still working with the then-England rugby union coach. The conversation quickly turned to the path back to the NRL.

My feeling was Seibold would be best served becoming an assistant again at a powerful club – success in the background would inevitably lead to an opportunity again at some point.

Seibold had other ideas. He continued to aim high and he stepped into the breach at Manly when Hasler was shown the door. He has a point to prove, if not to himself than to those who suggest his success at South Sydney was more down to the players than the coach.

This Manly side seems more akin to the outfit Seibold took over at Souths. They have experienced leaders who will have no trouble voicing their opinion if they feel things are askew.

He has the cattle to play finals football, particularly if Trbojevic’s troublesome hamstrings can see out the season. He has boxed smart by surrounding himself with experienced voices in Shane Flanagan and Jim Dymock. There are no excuses.

Anthony Seibold spent a period as the defensive coach for the England rugby team. Picture: Getty Images

His coaching counterpart at Canterbury has plenty, although he is unlikely to use them. The Bulldogs are far from the finished article. Their rebuild has only just begun.

Cameron Ciraldo is a young coach and his side has some green shoots. Yet the finals would be a miracle for the Bulldogs given their starting point and the quality of their roster.

Ciraldo is coming from a system where winning was in the DNA. He helped instil it. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, have forgotten what finals football feels like.

They are miles off challenging for a title and Ciraldo will need to be patient. The club and its fans need to be patient with him. If they can continue to grow together, they can achieve great things in the years to come.

He has time on his side. Seibold’s goals are more immediate given the squad he has at his disposal, they are ready to win. The sooner the better as far as Manly fans are concerned.

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Rugby league’s transfer system is back in the headlines as the NRL and players union attempt to thrash out a deal that would prevent players signing with rivals a year in advance.

The NRL wants the deadline moved to June 30. The Rugby League Players Association has pushed back.

The issue is set to simmer as the parties prepare to strike a new collective bargaining agreement with a caveat – that they will continue talks over the transfer system.

This column has pitched an alternative idea to the NRL and RLPA that would meet them in the middle. The idea would be that players who have spent eight years or more in the NRL would be allowed to sign a year out.

The rest of the NRL would be forced to wait until June 30. There is a method behind the madness – the system would reward players for their longevity.

It would also mean that only older players would be allowed to sign with rival clubs a year in advance, the theory being that they are more mature and better equipped to handle the pressure that comes with making that decision.

In the lead up to the start of the season, Penrith pair Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu, and Brisbane duo Thomas Flagler and Herbie Farnworth were among those to announce they were joining rival clubs next season.

Under the alternative system, they would have all been forced to wait until June 30.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Time not on Anthony Seibold’s side, how to fix the transfer system mess