NRL 2020: Anthony Seibold yet to accept payout from Brisbane Broncos

Anthony Seibold has copped a brutal kick in the guts from a Broncos powerbroker as speculation rages about his coaching future.

Nothing’s gone right during Anthony Seibold’s tenure in Brisbane.

Anthony Seibold is reportedly digging his heels in as the Brisbane Broncos attempt to part ways with the coach.

The Brisbane coach met with chairman Karl Morris on Friday to discuss his future and the club has offered him a million-dollar payout to walk away from his contract early.

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Seibold is only in the second year of a five-year deal but his position is essentially untenable after the year from hell. The Broncos have only won three games all season — including just once from 13 attempts since the NRL season restarted in May — and sit second-last on the ladder.

Biosecurity breaches by players and staff and reports of a divided dressing room have hurt the club, while Seibold has endured personal trauma to go with his professional pain.

The 45-year-old was forced into self-isolation for two weeks after staying in Sydney to deal with a “serious” family matter after the Round 13 loss to the Rabbitohs, and he has since hired lawyers and cybersecurity experts after vile rumours were spread about him online.

Adding to Seibold’s woes, the Broncos’ biggest private shareholder Phil Murphy voiced some strong thoughts on the coaching situation.

“It’s like having a cancer and it has not been cut out … if you don’t treat the cancer you die and that’s what, unfortunately and sadly, I don’t want to see the Broncos die,” he told Nine News.

That comment sparked an angry reaction. Daily Telegraph rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield tweeted: “What a horrible thing to say about someone who has been doing it tough.”

Courier Mail NRL writer Travis Meyn called it a “disgusting comment” while fellow NRL reporter Brett Keeble wrote: “What an abhorrent analogy. Another @brisbanebroncos howler. Can’t seem to get anything right on or off the field.”

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Murphy added: “He (Seibold) came to the club with a good record but his record since he’s been at the club has been crap.

“If you tried to write the worst debacle, the worst fall from grace of any sporting club in the world, you could not write what has continually happened week in, week out, for the last 18 months at the Broncos.”

Anthony Seibold at Red Hill.

However, Seibold isn’t going away just yet. Speaking on Fox League’s NRL Tonight, The Australian’s NRL reporter Brent Read revealed the Broncos mentor messaged him to say that “nothing has changed on his end”.

He said he had a COVID test on Monday ahead of being able to return to Broncos headquarters despite the team not having training on Tuesday.

“Anthony’s plan is to go into Broncos headquarters tomorrow afternoon as long as he’s got the all clear by then,” Read told NRL Tonight. “His plan is to be at the Broncos on Wednesday when the players come in. As it stands right now there has been no agreement done.”

Read said he expects there will be more negotiations playing out over the next 24 hours.

However he admitted that he would be surprised if Seibold was at training on Wednesday although he said the Broncos are probably not in a rush with Kevin Walters unlikely to go for another NRL coaching job in the near future, while former Cowboys coach Paul Green’s preference is to go to Brisbane.

However he said the Broncos should move forward quickly because the “club has been through the ringer all season” and it will be all over the papers and news bulletins until the decision is reached.

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Seibold is doing it tougher than anyone in the NRL.

The Courier Mail also reported that Seibold could stay until the end of the season but he would not survive and end of season review and be fired from the coaching role.

While most pundits believe the Seibold era at the Broncos is nearing an end, Fox Sports’ James Hooper told Fox Sports News it appeared to be all about money as the sticking point.

Seibold’s oft-spoken about five year deal reportedly has a sixth year in his favour, with Hooper revealing he could be owed $3.5 million for the remainder of the contract.

“I think he’s digging his heels in and his advisors are attempting to extrapolate as much money as possible out of that Broncos contract,” Hooper said.

“Now the initial figure the Broncos have pushed across the negotiating table to part company is a tick over a million dollars. I think Seibold’s advisors and Anthony Seibold will push for more like $2 million and we’ll have to see this now thrashed out over the course of the next couple of days. I think in all likelihood he has coached his last game in charge of the Brisbane Broncos.”

Earlier this morning, Daily Telegraph reporter Phil Rothfield believes Seibold’s time at Red Hill may be over by this afternoon with Kevin Walters to replace Seibold, meaning he will relinquish his duties as Queensland Origin coach.

Walters has the support of Broncos old boys, who were furious one of the club’s favourite sons was snubbed for the head coaching role in the first place when Wayne Bennett left at the end of 2018.

Anthony Seibold has been under pressure all year.

However, Walters said it was “pointless” speculating about Seibold’s future until he or the club confirm something, and added the Broncos have not been in touch with him about the possibility of taking over as coach.

“I haven’t had any contact at all with the Broncos about what’s happening there,” Walters told the Big Sports Breakfast.

“I’ve just tried to stay in my lane and be respectful of everything that’s going on.

“I understand that Anthony’s under an enormous amount of pressure and the Broncos themselves have been since we came back from COVID … it’s just been horrible since the return of play.”

Rothfield said while Seibold hasn’t had everything his own way in the Queensland capital, the team should be performing better than it is. He also said the Broncos’ administration needs to take responsibility for the sad state of affairs, in addition to the players and coaches.

“Seibold inherited a roster with a lot of overpaid players … the Anthony Milfords, the Jack Birds, the Darius Boyds were soaking up almost $3 million of the salary cap,” Rothfield said.

“A lot of coaches come in at new clubs and don’t get the roster they want. I think with the talent he did have, despite those players being on too much money, the Broncos have not been entitled to be performing as poorly as they have.

“It’s the right decision for him to move on, not just for personal reasons … but for the fact this club needs to get a restart.

“The Broncos’ front office has been performing as badly as the players the last couple of years.”