Pivotal 24 hours that is so important for Anthony Seibold in his quest to take Manly to the NRL finals
Since his early days as an NRL head coach at South Sydney, Anthony Seibold has learnt an important lesson which he now puts into practice after every Manly win or loss and the pressure valve has been released.
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Manly coach Anthony Seibold could be forgiven for basking in the afterglow of the club’s win over Melbourne last weekend for a few days. Instead, Seibold gave himself 24 hours to savour a win that strengthened the club’s top eight hopes and kept their premiership dream alive.
Then, it was back to work. Back to honing the club’s plan for Sunday’s blockbuster against the Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium, which shapes as another chance for Manly to silence the doomsayers who suggested they were on the ropes a few weeks back.
Seibold was a man under pressure at that point. He turned up for his weekly press conference and attempted to put some perspective on the talk about his future as he spoke about dying and insisted that one game wouldn’t define him.
Since then, the Sea Eagles have put together a trifecta of victories and can open up a big buffer over the sides on the outside of the top eight with a victory over the Dogs.
“I think it’s important that you do take 24 hours – I reckon it’s both whether it’s a win or a loss,” Seibold said.
“I think it’s important that if you win, you really enjoy your 24 hours. Of course you review your work and that, but there’s got to be a sense of enjoyment.
“I reckon when I was a younger coach, I just moved on. I remember one time when I was coaching South Sydney and we won nine games straight, and we won 12 out of 14 games, and straight after the game I was always thinking about next week rather than just enjoy the next 24 hours.
“I think now, because I know how hard it is to win a game of NRL – you’ve got to do your work, there’s no doubt about that – but I think you can enjoy the next 24 hours.
“And I think when you lose, you can’t let that frustration or that sense of disappointment last for (more than) 24 hours because the players, they see how you turn up, particularly as a head coach.
“I reckon it is 24 hours either way. You can enjoy a win and it’s okay to be disappointed after a loss. But I think after 24 hours you need to get to what’s next.”
Manly’s season has seemingly turned on some big decisions that coincided with their three-game winning streak.
Seibold’s biggest calls were to send a handful of players back to NSW Cup and move Tom Trbojevic to the centres.
The latter included a caveat that Trbojevic’s switch wouldn’t be permanent. It was made to reignite his confident and form, and it appears to have done so. Asked when he would look to return to the No. 1 jersey to Trbojevic, Seibold said: “With any decision I made, it’s always what’s best for the team, not what’s best for the individual.
“Some of the calls of playing four guys in reserves on their bye round, or moving Reuben (Garrick) to the wing, or Turbo to right centre, that’s what I think is best for the team.
“It’s nothing against the individual. I feel like Turbo’s his last three performances have been elite. Reuben on the left wing has been really good.
“As I said, any decision I make or have made is always about what’s best for the team for that particular moment. I feel like our back five has been really consistent the last few weeks.
“What’s best for the team this week. That’s every thing I think about. That’s as far as I’m looking ahead. I’m being genuine. I’m not thinking past this week.”
They’ll need to be good again this weekend given their opponents have been one of the form teams this season. The Bulldogs are riding high in the top four but they face a Manly side who toppled the Storm in Melbourne last weekend.
As good as that win was, Seibold has now moved on.
“Of course it’s better when you wake up after a win,” Seibold said.
“So for coaches, of course you want to celebrate the little wins. That’s why you work 60 hours a week. We’re not reflecting on what’s gone on.
“We’re really focused on what’s next.”
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Originally published as Pivotal 24 hours that is so important for Anthony Seibold in his quest to take Manly to the NRL finals
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