‘I really enjoy working with Seibs’: Players take blame for Manly’s poor form as they vow to ease the pressure on coach Anthony Seibold

It’s been a rough few weeks on and off the field for the Sea Eagles, with Anthony Seibold holding meetings and making changes to his team.

Sea Eagles players concede they are the ones who must change the narrative around the club as pressure builds on coach Anthony Seibold following back-to-back losses to the Knights and Titans before last week’s bye.

The Sea Eagles are one point outside the top eight after blowing a big lead in Newcastle before they were outclassed by the lowly Titans which led to mid-season reviews and sweeping changes to the side, including Tom Trbojevic being moved from fullback to right centre.

Seibold has copped plenty of flak for his side’s wild fluctuations in form that have seen them thrash the Panthers and Raiders, but struggle against the bottom teams.

It’s led to speculation his job could be in jeopardy, although club officials have assured his safety as they prepare for a new era in 2026 without skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.

The Sea Eagles suffered a shock loss to the Titans before last week’s bye. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“(It’s) frustrating, but in saying that, we’re the reason it is happening. We’re not playing good enough footy,” Trbojevic replied when asked what the public criticism of the team has been like.

“Unfortunately we play a game that is judged on how we perform for 80 minutes each week and we haven’t been up to standard. We completely understand that is where it is coming from.

“We can’t change the past, we’ve accepted that. We can only change how we react to it.

“Our last performance against the Titans, we weren’t up to standard. We have 10 games to go after it to decide our own fate. We have to win a lot more games than we lose to play finals footy, and that’s where we want to be. It’s about actioning it.”

Teammate Ethan Bullemor brushed off the seven-minute reviews that each player had to do last week, insisting it’s nothing new and that the players back Seibold.

Pressure is mounting on Anthony Seibold after a mixed start to the year. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“We have quite a structured program so it’s actually quite common for us to have individual meetings, and in the past we have done mid-season reviews,” he said.

“It came after a couple of poor losses so there was definitely a focus on our performances and what we can individually be doing better for the team.

“A part of it was also taking the opportunity to catch up and assess where we’re at.

“I don’t really know too much that’s going on there because it’s far out of my depth. All I know is that we’ve got a playing group that’s connected and is driven by Seibs.

“We all buy into what he says and follow him. I really enjoy working with Seibs.”

The players put on a united front over the bye week by rocking up to Accor Stadium to watch their NSW Cup side where Lachlan Croker and Jason Saab were both in action.

Tom Trbojevic will move to right centre this week as the Sea Eagles look to revive their finals hopes. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Trbojevic didn’t want to comment on the meeting he had with his coach but conceded everyone had areas of their game that needed to improve, including the former Dally M Medal winner who has battled a few frustrating injuries this year.

As for the pressure on Seibold, wins are the only currency that matters as the Sea Eagles fight to get their season back on track at home against the Wests Tigers on Friday.

“That’s just all external noise to us. We know where we want to go as a footy club and that external noise, we’re not letting it get to us,” Trbojevic said.

“We’re focusing on what we need to do. We understand why it’s there because we’re not playing the footy we want to. But as a collective, we know where we need to get to to be back playing finals footy like we did last year.”