Anthony Seibold social media storm: Cyber experts close in on online attackers

Anthony Seibold’s legal team could be handed a report soon detailing those responsible for starting and sharing the vile social media messages about the Broncos coach.

Anthony Seibold’s lawyer has revealed a person of prominence blacked out their social media accounts after it emerged that the Broncos coach had called in cybercrime experts to track the vicious slurs aimed at eroding his credibility across the game.

“Have they been monitoring certain people over the last week or so? Yes, 100 per cent,” Dave Garratt, from Howden Saggers Lawyer’s, told News Corp.

“By monitoring those people and their activity online and social media, they have been able to track certain things from that.

“The minute it came out that there was cyber-people involved, someone shut down their account straight away — all their social media went pretty much black.

“They won’t tell me their name, but it went black. A prominent name.”

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Anthony Seibold’s legal team is close to discovering who spread vile social media messages about him. Picture: Annette Dew.

Anthony Seibold’s legal team could be furnished with a report from European cyber-media experts as early as this morning. It will then be up to the Broncos coach to decide his next step.

He has three choices. He can let the matter rest, he can pursue criminal charges via the police, or he can take civil action against those responsible for the vile rumours.

Seibold remains in quarantine, having been placed in a Covid hold after attending to a family matter in Sydney more than a week ago.

In his absence, the Broncos crashed to their 11th loss in their past 12 games, against Canberra on Saturday night. Pressure continues to grow on his position at the club and there is a school of thought that he may be better placed spending time with his family.

The club has already spoken of their concerns over his mental wellbeing, his state not helped by the ugly attacks that have taken place on social media and prompted Seibold to call in experts to track down those responsible.

Anthony Seibold is currently in isolation after breaking the Broncos’ bubble to attend a family matter in Sydney. Picture: Getty Images.

As late as Monday, Garratt provided the experts with more information designed to track down the guilty parties.

“I provided them with some more information — another avenue that Anthony wanted me to go down, and it makes a fair bit of sense,” Garratt said.

“These guys know nothing about rugby league. I think there will be some surprises in there. Some of the stuff they told me that has occurred on line and over the past 36 hours, it makes sense.

“They have been monitoring people’s social media situations. The longer it runs, the more they get because people are talking and talking and talking. That’s why we haven’t pushed to have it by this date. We want as much information as possible.”

Asked about Seibold’s next step, Garratt said: “There are two ways Anthony can go. He can go the civil path. He can decide to lay a formal complaint with police, that is the other way he can go.

“The report will say who generated the messages, who made the allegations and where they forwarded them on to.

“I can see some nervous people in the next 24 hours.”

FORMER SOUTHS BOSS BACKS SEIBOLD TO RISE AGAIN

The man who gave Anthony Seibold his first big break is appalled by the vile social media war against the Broncos coach and could understand it if he temporarily walks away from the game.

It has been repeatedly speculated over the past week that Seibold is considering his future during his two-week enforced quarantine period he is serving after leaving the Broncos bubble to attend a serious family matter.

The Broncos expect Seibold will coach on to the end of this horrendous season but nothing is certain.

Former Souths CEO Shane Richardson has thrown his support behind Anthony Seibold. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Former South Sydney boss Shane Richardson, who hired Seibold for his successful debut season at the Rabbitohs in 2018, is concerned for Seibold following mounting off-field pressures, including the family crisis and a vicious social media attack last week which prompted Seibold to hire lawyers to track down the culprits.

“He would have done a lot of soul-searching over the last two weeks,’’ Richardson said.

“I am not saying he should resign but I could understand if did. I have seen it happen many times in my professional life where people have made that call ... lives have collapsed because the pressure is too great.

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“With that social media rubbish – which is absolutely disgraceful – you start to ask yourself whether it is worthwhile for your family.

“To me, it has nothing to do with his job or coaching and where the team is on the ladder. It is how he feels about himself and his family.

“Rugby league is that sort of game where when you go to your knees and you put your hand up and someone will kick you in the head.

Anthony Seibold will learn from his experiences at the Broncos, according to Shane Richardson. Picture: Getty Images

“There are only so many kicks in the head you can take. Seibold is a good coach but, at the end of the day, it has become a landslide for him.‘’

Even if he does coach on until the end of the season, Seibold would be fortunate to continue next winter on the basis of an unprecedented form slide which has seen Brisbane lose 11 of their last 12 games.

But Richardson has no doubt Seibold, even if he leaves the Broncos, would rise again and could even be better for the experience.

“John Lang always said to me you learn far more from defeat than you ever do from winning. You don’t know the person you are until you suffer defeat. I have no doubt he will rise from the Ashes. He will learn from everything that has happened to him.”

Anthony Seibold has been under intense scrutiny this season at the Broncos. Picture: Annette Dew