Real reason the Brisbane Broncos sacked Anthony Seibold

The shameless infighting and scurrilous rumour-mongering hid Brisbane’s true motivation for moving on coach Anthony Seibold.

The downfall of Anthony Seibold has been tragically swift.

Less than two years ago, Seibold was named Coach of the Year at the 2018 Dally M Awards in his maiden season as an NRL coach with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The Broncos quickly earmarked him as their best option to replace Wayne Bennett, and after an awkward transition Seibold was touted as the man to lead the Broncos to their first premiership since 2006.

But according to the Courier Mail the shadow of Bennett lingered, making Seibold “somewhat paranoid”.

He was intent on removing any reference to the mastercoach at Red Hill and removed Bennett-scripted slogans from the gym.

Seibold oversaw a modest 2019 season in which Brisbane narrowly qualified for the finals despite recording more losses than defeats before bowing out of the NRL premiership with a humiliating 58-0 loss to the Parramatta Eels.

Since that record defeat, everything that could go wrong for Seibold, seemingly has.

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Ahead of the 2020 season, Seibold sacked Darius Boyd as captain and anointed Alex Glenn as his replacement — after the New Zealand forward had considered leaving the club months earlier.

Roster mismanagement also proved critical as Kodi Nikorima, Jaydn Su’A and Patrick Mago were let go from the Broncos, only to unearth career-best form at other clubs.

Seibold’s dependance on Melbourne Storm halfback Brodie Croft as a chief playmaker did not pay dividends either.

Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold speaks to the media.

The coronavirus lockdown threw the entire sporting world into disarray, but the Broncos in particular struggled to regroup following the hiatus.

Whether it was due to fitness or inability to integrate the new set restart rules, Brisbane quickly became a laughing stock.

The Broncos have only recorded one victory in their last 13 encounters, and have comfortably conceded more points than any club in the NRL this season.

On average, Brisbane’s opponents have scored 31 points per game, while the struggling club has only managed 14 per game themselves.

The NRL powerhouse is now a favourite to claim the wooden spoon — it’s hardly fathomable.

As suggested by The Courier-Mail, Seibold had a tendency to over-complicate his strategies, which left players perplexed. The Brisbane roster struggled to embrace the complex plans, a significant reason for Anthony Milford’s dip in form.

Cracks slowly started to appear in Seibold’s relationship with his players, and the issues were blatantly clear in July. After suffering six consecutive NRL defeats, Brisbane captain Alex Glenn revealed the squad had opted to dictate preparations themselves, because the players “weren’t having fun at training”.

So disjointed was their trust in the coaching staff, the players were taking matters into their own hands.

Seibold was also reluctant to budge on his methodology — according to NRL.com, several Broncos players claimed their coach had repeatedly ignored advice, determined his strategies would eventually come together.

An emphasis on notepads sessions was also made a mockery of, and as revealed by NRL.com, centre James Roberts spent one session repeatedly jotting down his signature instead of taking notes.

Anthony Seibold at Broncos Training.

On-field performances — or a lack thereof — were only exacerbated by countless off-field controversies.

Earlier this month, Seibold was forced into a 14-day quarantine after choosing to leave the squad’s bubble to attend to a family matter. Meanwhile, salacious rumours circulated on social about the Broncos coach, who was forced into hiring lawyers.

Soon after, 10 Brisbane players were then caught breaching the league’s strict biosecurity protocols to enjoy a few beverages at a pub, and the club was heavily sanctioned.

Brisbane young gun David Fifita eventually had enough, signing with the Gold Coast Titans for the 2021 season. Eighteen months ago, Broncos fans would have laughed at the suggestion, but now it appears to be an understandable move.

Combined with Tevita Pangai Jr’s barber shop visit, the Kotoni Staggs revenge porn scandal and ongoing financial woes, Seibold’s demise was inevitable.

And so, Seibold’s mammoth five-year contract has been cut short — the 45-year-old ends his stint at Red Hill with a win ratio of 37 per cent, and leaves behind a club desperate for a fresh start.

“The role as coach of the Broncos is one of the most high-profile and high-pressure in Australian sport, and Anthony has performed admirably since starting in late 2018,” Broncos chairman Karl Morris said on Wednesday.

“But the levels of scrutiny – some of it bordering on hysterical, if not slanderous in recent times – have placed a heavy burden on Anthony and his family.

“As a Club, we have endeavoured to support Anthony and his loved ones through all of this.

“But at the end of the day only Anthony can understand what it is like to walk in the shoes of a Broncos Coach, and live with he highs and lows of the role.”